KuroFai: Touching the Viking
by Animangod
Summary: Fai of D lives only for the moment, cheating death and growing rich as a legendary mercenary. His heart may be frozen, but his desire burns hot for Kurogane, who needs his protection… For the safety of his son, Kurogane will risk everything, even surrendering himself to a Viking who teaches him not all Witches are monsters, but who seems incapable of love. KuroFai. 2012 Harlequin.
1. Chapter 1

BARGAIN WITH A VIKING DEVIL! His life of old shattered, Fai of D lives only for the moment, cheating death and growing rich as a legendary mercenary. His heart may be frozen, but his desire burns hot for courageous widow Sir Kurogane, who needs his protection...For the safety of his son, Kurogane will risk everything. Even surrendering himself to a Viking warrior who teaches him not all Sea-Witches are monsters – but whoseems incapable of love…

Authors note: Um... hope you like? Will update when I am able to write it more accurate to the Time Frame.

Fai leaned steadily on the lee of his ship, the salt air nipping the blonde man's face beneath his fur-lined robes, the blue gemstones in his long blonde hair glistening in the barely there light, shining agreeably. He and his 'crew' were bounding forward, the currently heavy fog not even deterring travel. Sakura stood behind him, jaded eyes gazing at the back of the other from under a mop of brown hair and a horned helm. Beneath them, were two 'guests': men with brown hair and black hair; brown eyes and red eyes.

"Mother…" the child spoke.

Fai turned and smiled at the other. "Yes, my daughter?"

"They feel familiar. Does Mother know of their origins?"

Fai smiled, "When we dock at the alcove, we'll have to restrain the Father until we have a chance to speak." The poor child was already gender confused as it was. It did not help that her Mother used she to say Father, and he to say Mother(1).

It was sometime the next day, Syaoran surmised as he was shivering in the room, what classified as a room – it was more of a cell; barred windows, locked door, there was absolutely no furniture, and while Syaoran wrapped his shackled arms together, to try and keep warmer, the air was frigid. A lot colder than he remembered, they were at some elevation higher than before as the air was thinner. One of the blankets that was the only other thing in the room at the time was wrapped as a shawl over his shoulders. Kurogane, on the other hand, summoned his strength, jerked harshly on now-taut chains. While Syaoran was only wearing a pair of shackles, cuffing his wrists together,he was actually shackled to the wall, their blades removed from person and nowhere in sight. Soon, the door opened seamlessly quiet and the master called to them. Kurogane had been busy fighting his own restraints that the other's voice spooked him a bit at first as he had not heard the other come in, nor see the door move. "Heilir(2)." The voice was soft, and bright. Cheerful. Kurogane stopped his struggles and faced the other. Blue eyes, like bright gems, gazed at him, from under wispy blonde bangs, the ornamental headpiece Fai wore bringing out Fai's eye's color more. At his hip was a knife; Kurogane thought it looked more like some over glorified letter opener. Syaoran stayed put, near his father's side.

"What do you want, Witch?"

"You ha'e nice eyes."

Kurogane looked at the other. "What does my eyes ha'e to do with _this_?" And at this, he jerked harshly against the chains that bound his wrists.

"_That _is because you resisted. We simply had to knock you out, and restrain you. You wouldn't listen to us."

Kurogane slumped his shoulders some, one hand reaching toward his head, as he remembered that painful headache he'd awoken with and had assumed it'd been this person's doing. In a way, he wasn't too far off. The daughter walked in behind the blonde, eyes a bright green, and under that horned helm she wore, her hair was a sweaty mop of light brown.

"They're _both _men, Mother." Sakura spoke, speaking quietly in a disbelievingly voice, before whispering. "I thought you said he be a _girl_."

"Is there something wrong with what we are?" Kurogane asks, staring into green eyes. Her eyes looked just like her… wait, did she just say 'Mother'? The blonde … was a woman? Looking closer, the blonde did appear to be wearing a breast plate beneath the thick white seal fur coat. He was sure he was flat-chested before when he was… when they were…oh, crap, the headache was back to full attention. Struggling against the chains had been a good distraction, but now his head was throbbing more than before.

"Yes, Sakura… they _are_ men. It'll be alright, though." The leader spoke, and while directed toward the female, it sounded softer, kinder, sweet and feminine. "Sakura, my daughter. Please fetch one of the medical chests from downstairs."

"Yes, Mother." She gave one last appraising glare at the two, looking them up and down a few times, before turning to leave.

"Oi~ What was she getting at?" Kurogane asked. "Is there something wrong with our being men?"

Fai turned towards the prisoners, wearing a strange grin. "As it twere."

"As it twere… What?" Kurogane looked at the other confused, and a bit irritated. _Great_, raising his voice only made the headache ache more.

"Well, there is this. Also, Syaoran, your son and you are the only two that survived from Suwa lands. They are now a fiery grave from the sea. You can thank us for saving your lives from the Dragon, Black Wings."

Wait, how did this … Kurogane supposed woman would be fair after that exchange, how did she know Syaoran's name and that Syaoran was his son? He tried to recall the last things that happened.

Then it began to occur to him. He was in his home he had used as a temporary escape from the Suwa mansion that belonged to his parents, to his family, before practically making that his permanent residence when his parents were killed by the black demons(3) and later, the wife and child came along. Then, Tomoyo, his wife had gotten ill, died thanks to the same black demons. That had been two of the worst weeks of their life. It was during the summer a year later, and the people had been just getting back on their feet, when Vikings had attacked. They'd attacked and stolen a lot of the women from the village. Many of the men fought them but could not compare to the assault from the had stayed with Syaoran at the time, ready to guard him with his life. That was two years ago. This year, it was a fortnight after the Ides of March when it happened. There was a ship spotted, paused outside of their village two days before. A Viking ship by the Dragon neck and the curvy spine of the ship. An alarm was put out, but no one had been hurt yet, nothing had been damaged, no Viking had come and attacked them. And the day passed. Still nothing, and the ship remained stilled. Tomorrow was Syaoran's birthday, and Kurogane tookthe risk, and ventured to market, keeping Syaoran close with him, Souhi at his hip, and Hien at his son's hip. However, it was at market, where he met the two strangers. The first person had to be almost as tall as he was, but the man, he assumed it was a man, was wearing a traveler's cloak pulled tightly around his face and covering his entire frame, hunched over, and leaning on something. Underneath the edges of his own and under another, was another person wrapped in a smaller traveler's cloak, hood pulled up as well. The taller one was wearing a bow and arrow set over his back, while the other didn't seem to be wielding anything, unless a black skillet counted. He would later learn, yes. The skillet served as a weapon.

_And here, I thought I was living simply_, Kurogane had thought then. The pair didn't seem to be carrying much else, as the two wandered the market, looking around. "You promised." It came from the child, a young female's voice. It was distant, unattached from the words. The other turned around, and Kurogane saw a flash of blue eyes, peeking under the cloak, meeting his, before lowering to Syaoran, who was standing at his side and returned to red eyes. The person smiled, eyes glinting, turning to the girl. "I promised." His voice reminded Kurogane of a reed instrument, like a soft boy's voice that hadn't aged, although he was sure the man was of age. He leaned down and whispered in the girl's ear.

"You will not find it here," the girl replied, a small pout to her cherub features, to whatever the other said, scowling at the taller companion,and he smiled more. The taller patted her head before the two walked away, and Kurogane wondered what that was all about, but did not press it further, as he didn't think to press it further. It wasn't his business.

That afternoon, he began chopping firewood for the two of them. He swung the axe down hard on the wood piece, cutting it in half. Move cut wood. Place needs-to-be-cut log where just-made firewood just was. Swing down on it, and repeat. Between the late march humidity and the work, Kurogane grew hot from the exercise, and wiped his brow a few times between every few logs or so, until he had a good stack of wood, then stacked it up into the woodshed just outside the lodging. When he was done, he set the axe down on the cutting stump, and leaned on it lightly as he observed the sea between the patch of trees. From his place, he had a sectioned-off view of the sea, when it was not a foggy day out. It was a small place, that with how the trees remained, it framed a semi-circle view of the waters. He looked there for a little while before returning to work, cutting up wood.

Sakura was playing on the edge of the cliff, Fai behind her, seeming to be spying the sea with his hands, and no prop as he watched over the female. She seemed to be having some fun, playing in what sand was there. There was an innocence about her as she fooled around quietly. After a few minutes, Fai turned around, noticing the light pathway the trees made towards the sea, and blinked lightly as he stared at the muscular man from before. Sweat glistening off tanned skin, red eyes gazing and focused, the black tabard that he wore offered to keep his skin dry, but the early season fog still was chilling. Power was strung high in powerful, stocked muscles, axe in a hand, a thwunk later wood split perfectly, while there was a sword at his hip. Long sword with a deep blue sheath. Fai began to watch the other, staring intensely at the figure, admiring his body, the power of it, the beauty of it, the size of it.

Kurogane thought for a minute he could feel someone watching him. He turned up from his work, and he looked around, but saw no one nearby. He looked about, but apparently the only person he could hear was Syaoran. Letting out a low growl, Kurogane let the axe rest, swinging it down on the wood stump, the blade caught in the wood, before gathering what wood was nearby in his arms, and walked over towards the back of the wood pile, where his son was practicing his swinging. Not with Hien, but a practice sword. Kurogane strode over and watched his son practice, placing the wood in the pile neatly. The boy had a lack of depth perception, as when he was born, he could not see out of his right eye, but he had a built up chi in his body, that was to some considered magical. Witchcraft, even. Syaoran had this natural affinity to fire, but from his lack of perception, occasionally he would burn himself or get injured. He, himself, had a chi built up, with a natural affinity to water. But there didn't seem to be much use for it. It oft proved to be more harmful than good. The other villagers would castrate them should they know. One reason they lived further from the village. When his wife was alive, she too, seemed to have a gift, but hers had been visions. Knowing what was to must have known, too, that this day would come. But he would not know, for the demons have stolen her away.

Later that night…Kurogane and Syaoran were busy cooking where knocking came upon the door. Turning, Kurogane put down the grinder he was using to grind the flour, grabbing his sword before approaching and opening the door. Behind it was that same couple from earlier that day. However, the taller was no longer wearing the traveling cloak over his head. On top of his head was some flashy ornamental piecewith blue gemstones dangling in wispy blonde bangs and equally blonde hair that was so long, much of it was hidden by the cloak, tucked away. The she-child(4) was wearing her hood down as well, but had no such flamboyance about her, subtle and easy to blend in, but still wielding the skillet.

The man from before looked about in a wary way, before looking directly at Kurogane, and smiling. "Heill…!" the tall one said brightfully.

"What do you want?" Kurogane's usual antisocial disposition was well known around town, but this man and the she-child obvious were not from town.

"I have come to deliver you to safety. Make haste, and depart away, for soon these lands become a red sea, and blood shall come from once the living."

Kurogane looked at the stranger, as he seemed way too cheerful as he sounded like some harbinger.

"What would you know about it?" Kurogane glared at the other. Unlike most of the villagers, he knew and believed in the power of foresight,and that there was a Guardian to his land; he also knew there were also those who would pull wool and those who bring that prospect with them.

"At the cove bears the Dragon, Black Wings. And in Cero's(5) name, to set fire and stones to Suwa in the nigh of the night, annihilating her peoples entirely."

"And how do you know that? Are you leader of Dragon?"

"And if I was?"

The Viking didn't seem to be expecting it, but that eerie grin and those cold sapphires, and the Viking dodged at a hair's breadth. Kurogane had been half expecting some counterattack from the Viking, some retaliation, block, something, from nearly being cut down by Souhi as he drew her on the other, but the other merely had backed out of harm's way.

"I kill you before you try."

Fai was still smiling. "Try it." He quietly uttered, "… and may the Gods have mercy on our souls."

Kurogane slashed at the other once more, and again Fai held a narrow margin between blade and flesh. Attacking more, the other alwayskeeping just out of reach at the last second. The other was fast, fast enough to keep up with him, and flexible, when things got a little too close, the Viking could just twist or spin and contort out of harm's way. After that, then things began to get blurry. A sharp shooting pang hit him in the back of the head, and as he turned to see what it was, the Viking that had just casually, cheerfully announced that Suwa's people were about to die, the same one who he infuriating couldn't even knick, was staring at Syaoran, having come out, hearing a commotion. And after that…things became a little too blurry, too fast… to remember exactly how things went, but he knew he definitely didn't go down without a fight, protecting his son, and protecting his people from the Sea-Demons…

Kurogane's shoulders fell, and he would have sat down, but the cuffs prevented him from going any lower than a kneel, and he would not look so crestfallen to a Witch. "So what now,Witch?"

"That depends on you two."

"All I really care about is my son's safety and weal." Kurogane spoke like a true father.

The Fai character grinned, "Then I suggest joining our little 'family'. Currently, there are those out there that will hunt you down, like you are animal. Feiwan of the Dragon, Black Wings is one such. If you are amongst us, he will not find you. But if you leave, he will be able to find you, he will hunt the both of you down, and he will kill you both."

Kurogane gritted his teeth, clenched his hands tightly. Several moments passed; several thought came and went. He let out a single breath before he answered. "You swear…? You swear nought to harm my son? That Syaoran will be given safety, warmth and weal?"

"Upon my name, I swear it, that your …" and at this, the heavily robed Viking turned to look at Syaoran, idly pushing blonde behind an ear, before he continued. "…Syaoran will receive not harm from our people and be well cared for under my jurisdiction." Fai spoke steadily, "That is, if he consents to being a part of my little family. Although, you would become personally mine. Since you've said it; you only care for your son's safety and weal, so then you will forfeit your body, your life to me in exchange, as the price, but should you be able to defeat me after agreeing upon, then this aspect of the contract would be valued null and you would no longer be indentured to myself. However, it would bear no weight on your son's safety or weal while he is with us. "

Kurogane could not believe the woman before him. Syaoran reached out for his father, and Kurogane turned to face his son, red eyes meeting brown. Syaoran grew still and silent. Kurogane did not like this, but the mercenary was right. If the words of her could be trusted,without her assistance and favor, he could not keep his son safe. Heck, essentially, they already were at the mercenary's, well, mercy, his son's life was very much in her hands. He could fight and possibly kill the other; he'd been fighting off the Viking threats for a long time now. He could not, would not risk his son's safety, however, even if that meant giving into the other. Syaoran bowed his head, "Alright."

Kurogane grit his teeth harshly, a fierce glare at the blonde before he spoke again. "It… seems we ha'e no choice but to accept."

Fai made a small nod, chin resting upon back of long fingers. "Wunderbar."

Kurogane clenched his hand, but said nothing. The devil spoke something in a foreign language something he did not know, but had a clue to its meaning. The smug smirk on the person's face, the pleased almost purr in the Devil's voice. Whatever word it was, the Viking was pleased with the results, perhaps expecting them.

"After we examine your health, your son will be escorted by my lovely daughter. Under me, my daughter has the highest command."

The girl from before, clad in breastplate armor, silken cloth and a helm that looked a little too big for her walked up behind Fai. "I ha'e returned, Mother." She stood behind Fai with a chest of medicines.

"Ah, Sakura, my daughter, there you are. Wunderbar. I've just talked with these … _men_, and have _negotiated_ their terms of being with us." Walking behind her, and placing bony hands on her shoulders, the mercenary smiles, "Play nice with the kid. He's going to be a part of our family from now on."

The girl's eyes go wide, as her hands go to cover her mouth, before turning on her mother, "Oh, Mother…" she says in a soft, almost happy voice.

"Happy Day of Births, Sakura." Fai reached for a hand and kissed the back of Sakura's hand.

Fai then led Sakura out of the room, leaving Syaoran and Kurogane alone for a couple of minutes again. Fai shut the door behind them. The door was a simple wooden door with a simple handle. Kurogane could not understand what was said, but heard light chatter on the otherside of the door, before the echo of footsteps and then nothing for a while.

"Why didn't you try fighting for yourself as well?" Syaoran spoke now that they were practically alone.

"It doesn't matter. As long as you're safe and in good weal, I can put up with _any_thing from that woman."

"But Father…" began Syaoran.

Kurogane glared silence into Syaoran, "You're the only family I have left now. I'm not going to lose you too."

Syaoran nodded, before cradling himself into a bit of a ball, "Maybe they won't be so terrible…They seem nice enough…" he said as optimistically as he could muster then.

"For Witches, maybe…" Kurogane grunted. "You do know that _nice_ blonde is also who said our entire village was to be destroyed, and had everyone else killed?"

Syaoran said nothing, as he took in the information, trying to come up with possible reasoning why they were warned, why they were here.

It was about fifteen minutes of sitting there like that with the medical chest sitting just in front of them, but no keys for the shackles and as Kurogane learned, even with his tremendous strength, he could not break them or break out of them. After a while, the two women returned, with the blonde twirling a wrought iron keyring with some keys on it with one finger, as Sakura carried in a fresh change of clothes.

"Well now… we are going to need to get you two cleaned up. So after I finish checking any injuries… we are going to set you two up."

Firstly, Fai unshackled and examined Syaoran, and being quite thorough about it. Careful, but methodical, as though used to treating injuries. It must have been a bit awkward and humiliating for the boy, being stripped to only his undergarment in front of a woman. Then once the blonde was done with looking over Syaoran, the brunette girl helped get him dressed in much warmer clothes.

As with what he saw with Syaoran, the devil unshackled his wrists before she got to work, being methodical, but gentle, taking her time to examine him. And Kurogane let her, grimacing only when the other touched the sore spots on his head and where he had been pulling against the shackles.

"Looks like she hit you pretty hard. Do you need some pain reliever for it?"

"I'll be fine." Kurogane grumbled.

"Injuries sustained are best treated before they become bigger problems."

Kurogane grumbled, and Fai made a low hum, flashing a smile. "I'll make you something to drink."

Kurogane rubbed his wrists lightly where they had been rubbed raw, thanks to his own resistance. Syaoran had apparently had enough sense to know _not_ to fight the chains. He didn't have any raw skin from cuffed appendages.

Sakura led the way out and through the place, but stopped at a door, pointing at it. "This room is my personal room. Only Mother is allowed to come in with me." She walked over to the next room, "This is to be the kid's room. Your Father may stay here unless Mother has other plans. When the sun is directly o'erhead, it is time for second meal."

Kurogane made a curt nod. He was not looking forward to that at all. Syaoran spoke a quiet thank you. He was looking down at his feet. Kurogane stood still and before a moment's notice, Sakura gripped Syaoran's chin in her hand, forcing him to look her in the eyes. Kurogane took one step forward, but restrained himself from doing anything more when the girl spoke. "You be alright, for a boy. You ha'e nice eyes."

Fai chuckled at that, and Kurogane just then realized that the leader had tagged along. He turned quickly. The woman was too quiet until just that moment. And Kurogane had the suspicion that Fai had been watching them. "For the nigh of this evening, the two of you may sleep in the same room with each other. By the coming of dawn, that will change."

"Will you be entering now, boy? I want to talk to you." Sakura tugged on the door, the door swinging with ease for the she-child, albeit being extremely heavy. Kurogane knew his son gasped, and he did not gasp, though a small gape had occurred. The room was well crafted, chests and a bed and fabrics of such finery, Kurogane did not think Syaoran had seen this many things as fine but once, when they visited his old home. Atop a chest there lay two books, a bound copy of _Havamal_ and _The King's Mirror(6)_. The books were inlayed and handwritten. The room was simple but elegant, including with it a coal-burning fireplace that lent the room an amber glow.

Syaoran stepped inside, and Sakura went in after him. Kurogane did not follow suit. At first, he glanced at them. Sakura led Syaoran over to the bed, having him get on it before climbing on herself. She crawled atop and leaned on her elbows on the bed, her hands bracing her head, "So… what's your name?"

The girl, resting herself on the bed had a sweet innocence to her, belied how harmful she really could be. What with that cast-iron skillet of hers, right beside her. Syaoran was currently stripped of his weapon. So was Kurogane.

"Syaoran," the boy piped up in a quiet voice.

"Syaoran?" the girl asked, as if to clarify, that was indeed his name.

Syaoran nodded, and the female smiled at him, "My name is Sakura."

Sakura then, very excitedly, began to ask questions of Syaoran, who having been not the most talkative felt a little overwhelmed by all the questions, while Sakura, who normally had no one else to really talk to besides Fai, was super excited and had a million different things she wanted to ask him.

"I think I'd like to see the place."

"Very well." Fai shut the door after the two, smiling one of those first led Kurogane to the kitchen to make him an herbal drink to make the pain lighter. After, Kurogane wandered about the place, the owner following him around. It was vast, an expanse of space and rooms, with many trinkets and treasures. Lion paraphernalia and cast iron, lavish clothes made of the finest cloths, furs from many animals, medicine chests, flowery incense and oils, scrolls and tapestries of extravagant artwork, ceremonial drums and rattles, fabric to resist the harsher elements, weapons of different makes, precious gemstones, ceramics, spices, golds and silvers, alcohols that bared the Clover mark, pillows, blankets, and instruments of such fancy, Pagan statues, there was a staff that resembled a trident, with its crescent moon, and crystal dagger on one end and the phases of the moon going around both bases, and a silver inlay grip. There was so far nothing he recognized from Suwa here, though there were some colored dyes from Nihon, which were made by Hokuto. He recognized it because his deceased wife would wear a particular outfit that would be dyed purple.

As Kurogane looked at the dyes, Fai smiled as a cat. "See anything you like?"

Kurogane stood up straight, held himself taller than the other. Up close, he knew for sure the other was two inches smaller, before replying, "Not but a reminder of Tomoyo, my son's Mother."

Fai spoke nothing for a moment, then. "Did a Sea-Demon slay her too? I found not woman in your abode, nought but few things for women."

At this, Kurogane blinked before turning to face the Viking. The man was still and not smiling as before. Kurogane almost smirked at the small change, but did not. "Not. The black demons stole her away."

"That's well." Fai said, his grin returning on his face.

"And haps is that well?" Kurogane's voice had a bark to it.

"Although best if she alive, but would you approve to consort with those that slay your wife?" The Viking had a point.

There were a few domesticated animals. Ushagison, a breed of fluffy white rabbit, that really liked sunflowers. There was actually a small garden for leafy foods so the animals could have some and a massive green pasture that stretched for miles and miles, only interrupted by a stone wall and more flora life. Then there were horses, there was a pair of horses, a white one with bright red eyes named Soel and a black one with dark blue eyes named Larg who seemed to have been ridden recently. Fuuma and Kamui were a pair of peregrine falcons, that Fai took when he was at sea, and they helped hunt down prey from the sea to eat, be it a bird or a fish. There was a well-known mouse that Fai aptly named Subaru. Their cat, Seishiro, loved to chase after it, but never seemed to catch it. However, what felt odd was there was no one else there that he could find.

"Thus are well stocked, Witch."

"Yes, we are well stocked."

"Ha'e you taken these boons from all lands gone asunder?"

"Not. We have our alliances with some, and many are on peaceable terms, a few have come to ruin. Such as Suwa land."

"Did you slay my people after knocking us out?"

"Not. We carted you to the far port where our Dragon was anchored hidden from sight. It was Feiwan who pilots the Dragon, Black Wings. My Dragon is Mokona Modoki, but call Mokona is short."

"So you knew a … different Viking was about to attack Suwa land?"

"I knew a different Viking about to attack Suwa land."

"How would you know that, unless you conspire against Suwa land?"

"I overheard him saying that." Fai merely smiled knowingly. "What is your name?"

"Kurogane."

Fai smiled, "Well then, Kurogane…" The blonde walked closer, putting one hand lightly on his cheek, "Already, I know your name. If I twere kill you now, then I would have a name to put to the face, and not just a number." The Viking pauses, "I may be a murderer, but I'm not interested in genocide."

Kurogane stared at Fai, long and hard. "Who… are you, Witch?"

"I am Fai… Fai of D. And believe me, Kurogane, the pleasure is all mine." Fai was smiling, before opening a particular room. Inside of it was many things, some he recognized from the lands of Suwa and some things he'd never seen in his life. Including the first thing he really _saw_… "…That's my father's sword…!"

"Hmm? Ginryuu, huh?" Fai said eyeing the silver dragon handle with the red eyes. "Your father must have good taste in swords."

Kurogane caught himself, as Fai smirked cheekily at him. "I wonder… Did you inherit the gift, Kurogane, son of Toriho(7)?"

Kurogane did not trust his mouth to speak. "You were training Syaoran, yes?" From behind him, the blonde pulled out the swords that they had had beforehand, Souhi and Hien. "These swords are explicitly for both of you aren't they?"

"H…What would you know about it?" Kurogane grabbed at the swords, but Fai only let him take Souhi.

"We're a dying race, Kuro-water."

"What the hell did you call me?" Kurogane said, gripping his sword, but not unsheathing her.

"Kuro-water. Kuro-sea. Kuro-ocean. Kuro-wet." Fai was grinning, seeming way too happy mutilating his name with water-related words. Kurogane tried to lower his heartbeat, but Fai was just… he knew. He knew about his father.

"Oh yeah, then what are you? You said we."

Fai stopped, looked surprised, realizing he let that slip. Well, since it was already halfway out, there was only one thing to do. "Yes… we…now that you are part of our family, that makes you one of us." Cover it up.

"That's not what you meant by we?"

"Is it not? Can you prove it, Kuro-skeptic?"

Kurogane stood impassively still, "Air. You have air chi." The look of shock on Fai's face spoke lengths, and Kurogane smirked, "And the she-child…Earth, I'd say."

Fai struggled for a moment to fix his composure, before shaking his head lightly. "You would say." Fai looked up smiling, "So you would say Syaoran is Fire. What a family makes we."

It was two days after Kurogane and Syaoran had been taken in, induced to being with Fai that Kurogane learned something vital. The first night, he had stayed with Syaoran after the dinner that was to celebrate birthdays (Sakura and Syaonran had apparently been born on the same day), just in case, but the next night, Fai had said he had to room with her. Kurogane had to share the same room with the Witch, and Fai had even slept in the same bed, but he hadn't noticed until the next morning, that morning, that Fai was assuredly not a female.

"What!?" Kurogane spoke, standing in a state of shellshock. Fai, the _Mother_ of the she-child, was … he really was a male. The woman, no man, was standing around in their chambers, and was in the midst of getting changed when Kurogane saw the unmistakable not-there breasts, and the unmistakable there-cock between his legs.

"Seishiro got your tongue, Kuro-gape?" the mercenary asked, clearly amused.

"You…and…you are… you…" Kurogane began, before blurting out, "You are man!"

"Is there something wrong with what I am, Kuro-pointing-out-the-obvious?" Fai asked, his voice ever so perfect, and using Kurogane's own words against him.

Kurogane closed his mouth as he said nothing, cheeks tinted pink, as he couldn't quite look away from the other. Fai was only wearing that ornamental hairpiece and a pale blue night gown that just reached his midriff, while pulling up a pair of black short shorts. A brassiere and then a corset. Fai dredged on more layers to cover his chest, and more to his nether region before adding the breastplate and plate skirt, then an over coat and then the hugely fluffy coat he wore.

"You hide behind cloth layer and words you are a man. Shame you in being male?"

"I do what I want, Kurogane." Fai said with an icy tint to his voice. "We will be leaving soon, to port of Hanshin soon. I suggest you get ready to deport."

"Deport? We're leaving here?"

Fai grinned, "Has Kuro-surprised grown attached to living with us?"

"No." Kurogane said quickly, defiantly, finally able to look away, "I just did not know we would be going to port so soon."

"Hanshin welcomes us to her waters and port. Arashi has given the promise of shelter, in the times when we arrive," Fai spoke easily, before putting in some earrings to match his headpiece. "We will be leaving tomorrow to Hanshin."

"Does this Arashi for whom know you are man?"

"Arashi does not know I am man."

Kurogane stared at the male. "Why do you not wish others to possess knowledge of your male nature?"

At this, Fai stared simply at Kurogane. "The world has become a cruel place. It has begun to speak ill of the brother who desires a brother…the sister who lusts for her sister. But not the sister courting her brother. For man is the joy of man(8), but with the Christening lands, these words are being lost to the easily swayed, and extremely, only man and woman are savable. Nothing against man and woman, for that is how kin are birthed, but I favor the flute in bed(9)."

Kurogane blinked, before he understood quickly and blushed. No. Fucking. Way. Kurogane grew silent, as he watched the other, the other staring at him, blue eyes gazing, Fai carefully calculating.

"Does that mean you desire me?" Kurogane barely voiced after a while.

"If I do, what then, Kuro-curious? What will you do, knowing that I desire you?"

Kurogane grew silent, studying the other. Like this, the man looked like a girl, was pretty enough to be a girl, what with soft but firm skin, pale white, with that long blond hair, silky smooth hair that ran down his back reaching to his lower calves, (probably never cut), the way those blue eyes sparkled. Even his voice could be feminine, as though it had never reached maturity, and his clothing choices made it appear that he was suppressing breasts, instead of how he didn't have any to speak of. But underneath those flowing clothes, was most certainly not a girl. "I'm yours, remember?" Kurogane grumbled, "In exchange for your promise, my body, my very life belongs solely to you."

Fai smiles, and his blue eyes seem to hold a soft twinkle to them. Or perhaps it was just from the gemstones he adorned himself with that made it look that way.

"Can I ask you something else?"

"Why certainly, you can ask. I may choose to decline, however."

"What is it that you want from me?"

"What indeed." Fai spoke cleanly, teasingly.

The Historical Corner:

(1) she to say Father, and he to say Mother -

_Due to the fact Vikings were oft of Scandinavian blood then, (and oft tall, with high cheek bones, willowly frames, and some were blonde) and that this is 13th century time era, they would use Old West (Icelandic/Norwegian) Norse instead of Old East (Danish/Swedish) Norse, In Old Norse, words have a particular gender. So, for example, merely 'Vegr" (Veg is to Kill, as in battle; to slay and ~r is masculine), would be translated as He kills. Did best for now, and will continue to improve._**  
(2) Heilir- **_Going with the Old Norse, Heill is appropriately only said when greeting a single male. To greet a woman, or a group of both sexes, one would use Heil, for a group of men, Heilir, and a group of women is Heilar._

**(3) black demons**_ - The Bubonic Plague. In those times, they thought it truly was Witchcraft that caused them, that demons possessed the body before killing it, in about two weeks time.  
_  
**(4) she-child** - _Until I find out the correct way to write these, some words with have the feminine or masculine frame of phrasing… Because I am still learning… Gomen._  
**  
(5) Cero's name - **_I was not originally using Cero, as I had been illy debating over Keto, Ceto, Kero, and Cero, as it's supposed a Creature of the sea, as a Ceto is a sea Monster, but Kero is a guardian so… So In Cero's name … is, here, basically his way of saying, that in the name of the Guardian of the Sea and our Dragon ships. ^-^"  
_**  
(6) Havamal and The King's Mirror - **_These are real books that were written during that time period, although Havamal was originally a gnomic poem, oft found in Poetic Edda. But the text of Havamal is like a Viking's Code of Living… Proper advice of conduct, wisdom and daily living._

(7) son of Toriho -

_They didn't SAY_ _"Son of Toriho" to indicate who they were the son of, they said "Toriho-son." For example, the sentence in Old Norse, 'ek Kurogane, Toriho-son.' Translated, that would go 'I am Kurogane, son of Toriho.' which is what it roughly MEANS but not how they would say it. It would be like Fai going Sakura chan, and everyone translates that to "cute Sakura' or some other variation of -chan or drop it entirely, which also changes things… This is what encourages confusion among linguistics. (The infamous DUBBING). Until I can correct my own errors… um, hope you still enjoy. ^-^"_

**(8) For man is the joy of man **_– A line from Havamal, verse 47:_

Young was I once, I walked alone,  
and bewildered seemed in the way;  
then I found me another and rich I thought me,  
for man is the joy of man.

**(9) the flute in bed **– _The flute was beyond a musical instrument. It was the politer way to refer to male genitalia. To play the flute meant you either were a flutier or wanting sex._


	2. Chapter 2

Ten days later…April 11th...

After that place, Hanshin had been completely foreign to Kurogane, while still remaining similar to what he knew. Fai, it seemed, was the talk of the town. Arashi, a thin woman, with raven hair that lay down her shoulders smooth as silk, welcomed Fai, knowing when he'd arrive before he did. Fai smiled, and greeted Arashi pleasantly. Smooth, graceful movements. Kurogane watched Fai, completely distracted as he watched how flawless Fai would project himself. Strong, confident, but gentle. An idol, so to speak, of beauty, grace and power.

A young girl rushed up toward Fai, and tugged lightly on his coat. Fai looked down at the child, "Fai of D, please, Karendayuu and the she-Troupe are upon us again. Won't you dance amongst them?" one of the young villagers pleaded of the heavily robed 'woman'. Fai smiled at the youth as her mother came over and put her hands on the youth's shoulder, and apologized for her behavior.

"It is all well," Fai assured the parent, before Fai bent low to the earth and smiled at the child, "I will consider it, young she-child."

Kurogane watched the scene. The young girl smiled brightly at Fai. And if the smile he wore then reminded him a lot of how he smiled, how he talked softly to his own daughter, Kurogane guess the man had a small weakness for children. He would admit the child with the freckled face had an innocence to her, the way her brown eyes lit up and a joyous expression highlighted her face, the way her brown hair curled ever so next to her face before he mother escorted her away, he could almost imagine Sakura, a bit younger, would have been a bit like that. Almost, because she was raised by a Witch. A witch, who deceived everyone else to thinking he was a she because he had a sense of attraction towards males, or so that was the reasoning he had been given. Fai turned back lightly towards Kurogane, "Coming, Kuro-Father?"

Kurogane turned his eyes away, wearing a scowl before following Fai with their two children. After reacquainting themselves with the housing, a quaint and quiet place, Fai took Kurogane out. Syaoran and Sakura had stayed at the housing offered by Arashi, as Sakura had claimed to have been feeling a little 'below-the-weather', arguably saying she didn't want to be left alone, which Fai knew meant she really just wanted some real private time with Syaoran, and happily obliged his daughter's whim, leaving the children to themselves. After the first week aboard the ship, the children had gotten a bit closer, which had been a surprise, and not too much of a surprise to both parents. Fai had been quite watchful over them after a while, but subtly. Kurogane had been the opposite. He didn't hide it.

"Come along, Kuro-concerned." Fai led the other towards a noisy tavern. Loud laughter, the strong stench of alcohol and sweat and dirt, Fai moved towards the bar, ordering some food and drinks from Shougo before moving away and finding a square table and settling down at it.

Alcohol was swiftly served, the bartender, a shrimp of a man compared to them, "Here you are, Fai of D. Your food should be ready soon."

"Thank you." The boy bowed before scurrying off to serve other patrons.

"Come here oft?" Kurogane asks.

"Oft enough. The drink here is not as favorable as the drink from Clover, but the food here is superior."

Kurogane nodded lightly as he looked around. It was noisy, the patrons chattering or mute, but the air lively. "So … what do you do here?"

Kurogane had turned to Fai who was sipping the drink, turning lightly to face Kurogane. His furry hood was down, exposing his high cheek bones, blonde hair, fair skin and beautiful blue eyes, only accentuated further by the headpiece he wore. "What do you mean what do I do? I do what I want, naturally."

"But what do you do?"

"Ohh~~, yknow… the children here are pretty lively. Sometimes I'll entertain him. Here is where our type is welcome."

"You mean, Vikings are welcome?" Kurogane asked for further clarification.

"I mean Kuro-water is welcome as well." Fai winked at the other, suggestively.

"They have the gift here…?"

"Some have the gift. Here, most are also alike, but the blood is rosewater. Only few strong ones are here. Like Shougo. Keep Masayoshi about and that be his hero. Shougo actually built this town when he was exciled from his lands."

"What did he do?" he found himself asking,

"Rumors say he murdered his wife and child so they exiled him. He'd been Viking aforehand, but he just wanted to settle down somewhere, make life good, use his gift to aid instead of hurt. It's why traders and those gifted are welcome most." Fai trilled lightly, Kurogane studying him, before the sound of someone entering the tavern echoed in the room. "I knew we would find Fai of D here. Mother! Over here!"

An excited girl was waving dramatically at them. Her short black hair, a familiar bodice over her chest, as her short mini plate skirt showed off half of her thighs. A gray wolf was seated beside her leg. Nearest her was a man with short cut hair; he was wearing armor as well that he had seen Fai had some of. A thick chainmail made his outfit like a loose variant of a suit of armor and a gambeson beneath. At his hip was a rapier. The female carried some sort of firearm.

"My, this is certainly a good surprise." Fai's smile widened, as the small group joined the table he was at before he turned towards Kurogane. "Kurogane… these are some more of my friends… Everyone, this is Kurogane. He and his son will be joining Sakura and I, although Syaoran is currently with Sakura."

Kurogane looked at the people, before remembering something, but not knowing their names, "The female with the gray wolf called you Mother. Are you Mother to her too?"

Mentioned girl piped up, "Not. Mother is a title, Kurogane. Although Mother is Sakura's mother, she is Mother of Dragon. You can consider in that particular regard Mother is like ... Captain. Aye, even leader. If Fai of D were man, then he'd be Father of Dragon. Same for the hierarchy of the Vikings. There be Prince or be Princess of a group of Vikings. And should a Viking earn enough, one could be King or be Queen of Viking."

Kurogane nodded, with some understanding. He took note that these people believed that Fai really was the she-child's actual mother. So that meant that they didn't know either. The girl's eyes widened, realizing they had not properly greeted the other. "Oh, let me introduce ourselves. I am Tsubaki, daughter of Nekoi, and this fella is Inuki." She patted the wolf's head and he let out a small bark, tail swishing. "And this guy is Shio, son of Kazuho."

"Nice to meet you," Shio said with a small wave.

Kurogane made a light grunt. Then, Tsubaki went into talking and gossiping with Fai, and 'thanking her for the lovely clothes from the last time', while Shio turned to Kurogane. "So tell me. How'd you come to know Fai of D?"

Kurogane shrugged, "Saved my son's life."

Shio gave an understanding nod, "That sounds like her, alright. Hard to believe most know her better for ending lives than healing lives, but I guess you take things like that with a grain of salt."

The four of them shared talk, mostly Fai and Tsubaki before Kurogane saw food approach, fruits and breads and some form of cooked, slightly steaming food coming towards them, and his eyes followed the food, before it was set atop the table he was sharing with Fai and the others. He swallowed, as he stared at the unusual but delicious smelling food. He watched in wonder at the mysterious food, steam disappearing, like freshly cooked bread. Suddenly, there was a nudge against his ribs. Not super hard, but enough to pull his attention to the other as Fai smiled at him, "Try."

Kurogane nodded, picking up one of the presented objects of his attention with his hands. Blowing on it to cool it down a little more, he slowly tried it. Kurogane had never had anything like it before, it was definitely foreign food to him, but it was … beyond wonderment. The tan bottom was a fluffy pancake, and the ingredients, new spices, the way it blended. It tingled his taste buds, as they began crying out for more of whatever it was.

Fai watched Kurogane, clearly bemused by the other, and Kurogane gazing, almost mystified, clearly enthralled by the exotic food.

"Didn't I tell you they have some of the best food here?" Fai smirked at the other.

Kurogane lightly blushed, at being caught excited like a little child, but it was delicious and tantalizing. He only offered Fai a curt nod, before Fai began to eat his own, as the others helped Fai eat the food, and more social banter was made. Normally Kurogane was observant, yet silent, not adding much input although he had an opinion; this time, he was less observant, but still with little input, as the food kept him preoccupied. It was love at first bite.

Fai and the others chatted over new developments. Apparently, there was trouble in other lands, Rasetsu had his third child, something about Crusades, Feiwan was mentioned a few times. Much gossip, rumors, stories ... Kurogane lost track somewhere in the middle.

Fai, Sakura, Kurogane, and Syaoran stayed in Hanshin for a fortnight. The night of the 16th was to be the she-Troupe's last night there and Fai made sure to dance amongst them the night before, for the amusement and joy of the children. On the 16th(1), there was a lunar eclipse within the first hours of the day, the moon in the sky a blood red, in total eclipse for nearly 100 minutes, having taken 112 minutes to reach and leave total eclipse each, the eclipse lasting for nearly 322 minutes.

Fai was up for the eclipse, staring at the moon. Kurogane had only awoken at that ungodly hour of one in the morning, because of Fai. No, Fai made no noise, standing quietly outside as he watched the moon, but he should be asleep. Any sane person should be in bed. And seeing as Fai had them share the same bed to sleep in, Kurogane knew the idiot was not in bed. Kurogane grunted, finding it annoying that Fai was not where he should be and annoyed that it annoyed him awake when it rightly shouldn't bother him, before he quietly went to find him. Fai was just standing in the middle of the street, staring, a saddened smile on his face, arms crossed over chest, deceitfully woman in appearance. He was wearing his fur coat, hood down and that flashy ornamental headdress he wore shone in the reddening light. Fai seemed too caught up in whatever or wherever his mind was, he never noticed Kurogane's arrival, until said man put a hand to his shoulder. Fai's eyes widened, body tensed immediately and he whirled away from the hand's grip, as though it twere a snake, going to bite him. In a flash of fluid movement, Fai was wielding a seix(2) against the other's throat. It took him a moment or two before he noticed it was merely Kurogane. He calmed down then smiled brightly as he lowered the blade away.

"Oh, Kuro-awake, what are you doing there?" he asked as he put the deadly blade away.

Kurogane had been caught off guard by Fai, suddenly turning on him like that, cool metal nipping sharply at his throat. It had been a complicated moment, as Fai's eyes blazed, tainted in some form of fear, suddenly wielding a weapon with deadly accuracy. He had been too caught off, he hadn't even countered the attack, and if Fai hadn't held back from the attack, if he had continued instead of pausing where he did, Kurogane knew his jugular would have been sliced clean open. And then the blond was regathering his flamboyant senses, as though nothing just happened there. He eyed the other with his usual scowl, because something _did _happen just then, but Fai was treating it like nothing. "I am doing here, because you were not in bed."

Fai smiled, "It's fine; you can return to bed. I'm just going to watch the moon for a while. Tis rare to see a moon stained crimson."

Kurogane grunted in disapproval. He returned to the housing, and Fai thought he'd be there the rest of the night, but then he was returning out, with alcohol, handing a clay bottle to Fai. "Drink?"

Fai let out a half-reprieved breath. "Drink." Kurogane sat down next to Fai, slouching as he drank the ale. Fai joined Kurogane where he sat, still able to see the moon. After a little while, Fai spoke up, as he watched the moon. "Why?" he asked.

Kurogane didn't know what to say to that; there was no way he could really answer a question he didn't know what Fai was really asking. But, he shrugged, "Why not?"

Fai smiled, as he watched the eclipse. To pass the time, Kurogane actually started a conversation. Tried to, rather.

"What were you thinking of before?"

"Thinking of before...what, Kuro-talkative?"

"Before ... when you were staring at the moon."

Fai looked at Kurogane, before smiling falsely. "I was not thinking of anything, Kuro-presumptuous."

"It was something sad?"

"Really. I was thinking of nothing, Kuro-accusative." The conversation ended pretty much there. Fai downright denied the question, and Kurogane grunted in disapproval at the other. They sat in near muted silence as they watched the moon with the ale. Kurogane closed his eyes, as he focused on getting a little shut-eye, even if it wasn't swell rest from sitting up, but having Fai out alone didn't sit well with him either.

"Beautiful…"Fai spoke at one point, the word slipping from his lips while the moon was in total eclipsement, "the moon is so beautiful tonight. She normally [looks] innocent, before fading into a sea of darkness then returning [to the] light, but tonight she is bathed in blood. Neither innocent nor lost in the sea of darkness. Truly beautiful."

Kurogane opened his eyes and stared at Fai as he spoke. Fai was gazing merely at the moon, with one arm stretched behind bracing himself, and one reaching forward, as if to touch the moon before receding to his side. He really didn't seem to be talking to anyone in particular, but leaving the words there in the air. Kurogane knew for sure he wasn't meaning anyone to really hear him, when he turned to him smiling, "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"I was not asleep." Fai tensed slightly, then tried to relax once more. He sat up a little before leaning softly against one of Kurogane's arm, "Then if I do this, you won't mind?" Fai asked in a quiet voice.

Kurogane didn't protest. "Aren't you tired?"

"A little tired. But I really wanted to see the moon."

In the end, Fai couldn't stay awake for all the eclipse, falling asleep shortly after four in the morning, and softly leaning on Kurogane's shoulder. Kurogane gently touched the man's long blonde hair, fingers shifting between it, and Fai slowly nuzzled into the other. Kurogane continues to touch Fai's hair, liking how it felt so soft in his fingers. It reminded him a bit of how he used to take care of those long coarse raven lengths. Fingers lightly brushed against pale skin, the chill of the air seeming settled on Fai. His skin was cool without being clammy against his warmer, calloused hands.

Fai was breathing slowly, and Kurogane could feel his pulse beating slowly inside his neck. Kurogane realized right then how exposed Fai could be, knew if he wanted, he could end the man's breathing right there. It was a dark and morbid thought. If he silenced the Witch, then ... he pushed the thought away. There was nothing to gain killing Fai; there was only much risk and endangerment to his son to gain. Not to mention how cowardly it was to kill a defenseless man in their sleep. But at the same time, if it could be that easy for him, then it would logically be just as easy for anyone else…right? And right now, Fai was assuring their safety, his son's safety. He didn't understand, but just knew, like a gut feeling. He just sat there, letting the other sleep for a short while, before another thought entered, remembering the chill of the morning air. Smirking, he let the other tumble from his shoulder, resulting in Fai bonking his head. Fai let out a yelp as his head connected, and pouted at Kurogane. Fai rubbed the back of his head. "What was that for?" he complained.

Kurogane didn't say anything at first, picking up the other bridal style and carried Fai back inside. "Sleep in bed, Witch." Fai had grown silent, as he watched Kurogane with surprised eyes. Once Fai was back in the bed, Kurogane could finally get some real sleep himself. He was quietly smirking as he drifted back off to sleep, his back turned towards the other. He figured he'd be paying for that drop later, but it had so been worth it right then, just to see Fai's face. But then again, Fai had cost him much sleep, so he supposed they were about even.

Here, Fai kept up his womanly act. Kurogane knew the Witch had to bathe, but getting the level of privacy necessary to keep up his act wasn't always easy. Especially if you pretend to be something you are not. The man could be a sneaky, slippery bastard and just manage to slip off without anyone else noticing. Fai had managed to actually sneak off that morning. He never found out quite where he went, but Fai had managed to sneak away for about half an hour before reappearing, cleaned and hair still damp. He had a bowl of water in one hand and because he had a playful streak in him, used it to splash Kurogane awake. Kurogane heard someone enter the room when he felt chilled waters splash on him, and he bolted out of the bed, growling at Fai, as he still gripped the soaked blankets "What was that for?"

"Get out of bed, Kuro-wet." Fai was smirking at the black haired man before him, as if challenging him to take it further. Kurogane let it go, for now, grunting at the other, "I'll get you back for that, Witch."

"Enough trifling in here; we need to fetch Kuro-Father and Syaoran some new clothes."

Kurogane glared at the other. "With what?"

"Ye don't think I steal everything, do ye? I trade goods for their goods and coinage. Come, Kuro-wet. Help gather the children, so we can go to market. We need to make sure we have a few new clothes just for you two."

Well, Fai sure seemed excited. Which was weird, Kurogane thought, but he relented. Getting out of the bed in a grouchy mood, not helped by Fai clinging himself to his arm for Fai's mere amusement, and Kurogane's further annoyance. "Get off, Witch."

"But this is fun," Fai said, like a little kid.

"Are you not supposed to be a role model here?" grumbled Kurogane.

Fai perked up lightly before letting a soft sigh, dropping his head with it, "Kuro-bore is not letting Mother have any fun."

"And whose fault is that? You woke me up very rudely."

"You dropped me."

"You wouldn't let me sleep."

"I would too; you were just too obstinate to head to bed."

"And how do you expect me to sleep when you're … not there?"

"That should be obvious. The same way you've slept since… " Fai paused, silencing his tongue. He was sure the next words would've sounded thoughtless if he just let them flow. Fai slightly blushed, pushing some hair behind an ear, acting a bit awkward in the moment. "Um, exactly how long have you been… without woman?"

Kurogane stopped, and watched the other's mannerisms, "It's been two years."

"So see, what's the deal if for one night I decide to watch the moon instead of head to bed? It's not as if you enjoy me there."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I would think that's perfectly clear. Given a choice, you would never~"

"Mother? Kurogane?" interrupted Sakura, seeming to appear from nowhere, "Is something the matter?"

Both heads turn to the female standing in the doorway, one completely surprised to see the she-child, and the other plastering on a smile. "Nothing is the matter."

"Hm." Sakura made an evaluating hum, before dismissing the topic for now. "You two be heading out soon?"

"Perhaps. Is Syaoran awake yet?"

"Aye; he headed to the baths a while ago. He should be back soon."

"Good," Fai said with a smile, "When he's done, will you ask him to get ready to leave to town. Our men need some new clothes."

"Aye, Mother; I be sure to help him get ready."

Twenty minutes later, all four of them were strolling through the center of the capital of the Hanshin Republic, and perusing shops. The streets were littered with activity, people tending their business, others out shopping or tilling the ground. A couple of youths were just coming back down from the rugged terrain, and were wearing frost-bitten jackets, a cart of wooly corpses from their northern adventures. Finding a familiar shop, Sakura grabbed Syaoran's hand with a bright smile. "Come Syaoran," she said cheerfully, leading the teen into the place. Kurogane watched as his son faintly blushed at the gesture, following the she-child into the store. It was different than some of the other stores, reminding him of a place between the bar and Arashi's home. Unlike the other booths that sold their wares, this one looked like it doubled as the owner's home workshop and shop. A bell chimed as Sakura opened the door, announcing their arrival.

"Shall we?" Fai asked in a gentle tone, softly nudging Kurogane's arm towards the shop.

Kurogane let out a breath, before following the children into the building. He would have thought it odd that they could just enter like that, but then two girls in identical dresses, and similar ribbons chirped up brightly, "We have customers!" the two said at the same time. Their voices were almost identical, and if their hair looked any more alike, Kurogane wasn't sure he'd be able to tell the two girls apart.

"Welcome friends!" the girl with the green ribbons spoke.

"Doumeki! Come haste!" the she-child with the blue ribbons said, going to chase down the shop owner, who was in the back, working on something.

Setting down his project, Doumeki rose from the back of the shop to greet them.

Fai smiled, "Kuro-cloth, be a dear, and look around for something that looks to fit. I need to talk with Doumeki here for a moment."

Kurogane grunted before finding the taller clothes while Fai meandered his way into the back of the shop, glancing at the inventory as he passed it by.

"It's been some time, Fai of D," Doumeki spoke, following Fai back into the back.

"Has it?" Fai trifled lightly looking over Doumeki's supplies, looking for the most well-used ones, or any other that was in short supply.

"Were your travels well?"

"Mm, fair enough. How's business here?"

"Fair enough. Who're the men?"

"Kurogane, and his son, Syaoran; we came to find them some clothes."

"Captives?"

Fai made a light laugh, "Now, what makes you think I keep captives? I'm looking to get them some of the same protective cloaks that'll help them when traveling with us."

"How long?"

"Is eight days enough?"

"I can have them ready in six."

Fai nodded, "And the price?"

"I need some armor; think you can bring some?"

"Aye; just write me a letter for record's sake."

"Aye."

Fai smiled, "Thank you, Doumeki."

"Thank me when you see them."

Fai's smile quirked, "Aye; I will."

After the small, almost private exchange, Fai returned to where the clothes and armor readily available were, looking over what Kurogane was nearest, glancing briefly at his daughter, helpfully pulling clothes about to see what would be best on Syaoran. The second girl had returned to guarding the door, now one on each side again, awaiting any new customers. Fai smiled before turning his attention back to Kurogane, as he examined the clothes, hearing the faintest mutter from the swordsman, "Can't believe they have things about the same size."

Fai surprised Kurogane when he just casually draped himself over the other's shoulder with no warning; "What's to be disbelieved? Northerners are naturally tall folk. And with some [men and women] fitter than a fiddle, with muscles of rowing, Doumeki has to be ready for as many as possible."

Kurogane tensed up, having not noticed Fai's returning presence, until the other was talking right next to his ear. Slowly speaking through gritted teeth, he tried to calm down. "Do you always sneak up on others?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You appearing from nowhere."

"I must appear from _some_where, so therefore your argument is invalid" reasoned Fai, with a wide grin. "Now … show me; what have you found?"

Kurogane gave the other a small jerk of the elbow, right into his side, in an attempt to get the Viking off of him. It did give him the results he wanted; Fai did stop lazing on his shoulder, but not without hitting the hidden armor breastplate beneath. Fai was unharmed, and dealt with the not-so-subtle gesture with ease, trifling through the clothes, not that dissimilar to what Sakura four shelves over was doing with Syaoran.

"Hm, Kuro-cloth only had dark clothes. So maybe, black, or maybe blue would be best for you?" Fai said, tugging out a few pieces that looked about the right size.

"…blue's a girl color…" muttered Kurogane, otherwise letting Fai have his way.

"Ah but a _dark_ blue would be lavishing…or perhaps a deep black with red. Maybe some touches of silver. Silver is always good." Fai spoke, before raising his voice, eyes glancing at the shorter clothes, "We wouldn't want our men to be to catch a bad _drift_, aye Sakura?"

"Aye, Mother," the girl chirped up, "We certainly wouldn't. That would be just _dreadful_."

For some reason, the two Vikings giggled, and the two shop girls joined in as they stood guard at the front. And Kurogane had the hunch that the women here were in on some inside joke that he didn't get. And was sure he didn't want to get.

Kurogane had mixed feeling when they left Hanshin. He was curious about where they were going. He felt sad about the loss of whatever it was that they made there...but it was better to have discovered it and enjoyed it than to have never tried the food at all, he thought. On the other hand, Sakura and Syaoran have seem to have gotten a lot closer after her 'below-the-weather' act. Despite being a Witch, Sakura seemed to be a good influence on his son. He was a little livelier, spoke a little more, but Sakura seemed to, more or less, have him wrapped around her finger.

Standing on the edge of the ship, he looked as they left, watching the people and the continent grow more distant, when he felt hands on his shoulder, and some material down his back that hadn't been there before.

Turning, he saw Fai smile at him before moving to the side, and he reached to pull the cloth off to see a little more of what Fai had just put on him. It looked like a traveler's cloak, similar to the one he'd seen Fai and Sakura in when they were in Suwa. Yet unlike the cloak that Fai had been wearing, a somber white, like a heavy fog, this one was almost all black, with the exception of a pattern embroidered on the hem. A large silver dragon with red eyes. Kurogane stared at the embroidery stitches, slowly touching the threads with his fingers, memorizing each stitch mark.

"It was a dragon correct?" Fai asked.

Kurogane looked from the cloak to Fai, unable to mask some dumbfoundedness as he asked, "Huh?"

"The Protector of Suwa land and people… Was it not a Dragon?"

"How would you…?" Kurogane began, but did not finish.

"I'm a good listener, if that helps," Fai said with a shy shrug, and an apologetic look in his eyes, which thoroughly confused the heck out of Kurogane. What did Fai have to be sorry for?

"Why are you apologizing?" Kurogane asked as he stared into Fai's eyes.

"What are you saying, Kuro-cloak?" Fai tilted his head before that familiar, plaster smile appeared, "I'm not apologizing; I am giving you a nice present."

"Do you normally hand out nice gifts to your _things_?"

"Is it not common knowledge that for something important, you take care of it so that it lasts a long time?"

"Aye."

"Well … since we want Kuro-Father here for son, we must also tend to needs of Father. And Kuro-sea must have an absolutely _superior_ cloak," Fai said with a wild flourish, emphasizing the last bit of his sentence.

"Why are you being so nice?"

"Would you prefer us cruel and abusive?"

"…no." Expected it, though.

Fai just smiled, before seating himself on the edge of the boat. "We Vikings ha'e awful repertoire. Because we be Vikings, many thinks we are strong cruel and evil. Be it that may be so, we are just as human like everyone else, surviving like anyone else. Our occupation is just one that is known for ransacking villages without bias, ill-treating our captives, and causing general mayhem and destruction, seeable afar by the particular ship we use. But just because one or many is this way and gives us a bad repertoire, that doesn't mean we all are same. I mean how many Vikings do you know that are woman in cloth and man in body?"

Kurogane watched Fai for a while, before wrapping the cloak around his neck. Fai was definitely … unique.

**The Historical Corner:**

**(1) **_On April 16, there really was a lunar eclipse that peaked at 1:33 in the morning in our world too. (Referenced at: __ . __)_

**(2) seix** –_a common concealed blade that the Vikings would carry. Small, but very deadly. _

**(3) bathing **_– Yes, they believed in washing. Depending on which culture, some were more bath everyday, while others were for luxury and others were only on the Sabbath day or to celebrate something, and so forth. Some believed that water was sacred and to bathe in it would defile it._

NICKNAMES:

Kuro-Father – Kuro-faðirr

Kuro-concerned – Kuro-hræddr (Okay so it normally means frightened, or afraid, but there was no worrywart, worry, concerned, or most of those in that range in Old Norse.)

Kuro-water – Kuro-vatn

Kuro-awake – Kuro-vata

Kuro-talkative – Kuro-máligr

Kuro-presumptuous – Kuro-mikillæti

Kuro-accusative – Kuro-kæra


	3. Chapter 3

**Authours note:**

It had been a slight itch that had begun shortly after leaving the hilly valleys, the peaceful, oddly uninhabited lands that he'd awoke in after Fai practically kidnapped them to save their lives. Funny it started only _after_ that place. However, Kurogane could not shake the feeling they were being watched, that somehow they were being followed. It sounded ludicrous, he told himself over and over, but the feeling of someone following them never really left. However, Fai also seemed … flighty. Perhaps because he kept his guise up around others, but he never stayed anywhere for long. Guessing, Kurogane was sure he was running from something. The question was, what was he running away from, or maybe who, and why? But even when he asked, all he usually would get out of Fai was half-truths, cryptic answers or denials, rarely a straight answer. Then there was that business with Feiwan of the Dragon, Black Wings. How did Fai know? Did he really just hear the other say it? And for a mercenary, he was way too lax and friendly. There were just too many unknkowns and suspicious vagueness that came with Fai.

What he did get as an answer proved a few things. No one apart from Sakura were actually _close_ to Fai. The man was distant, and even his so-called friends only saw a surface woman Fai. Fai hardly talked of himself, avoided any such mention of his past, often doing what he could to shift the focus of talk away from 'her' and onto other things.

However, Fai probably had an innate ability to just hear hurt a mile away, maybe smell pain. Something. Fai had been on the top deck, idly gazing at the waters before him, the white sails catching the breeze and driving them forwards. Kurogane was idly reading in the kitchen while Syaoran and Sakura worked on making a meal for later that day. Syaoran was peeling potatoes, when he accidentally knicked himself with the short blade. Kurogane looked up from his book when he heard the small sound of pain from his son. Within moments, Sakura stopped what she was doing, and held Syaoran's hands with hers, prying the stained blade from his fingers, and taking the potato away as well, setting it aside.

"Don't worry," Sakura chided, before Syaoran could do or say anything or before Kurogane got out of the chair, "Most accidents happen in the kitchen. That's why there's a medical chest near the entry."

She slowly escorted him to the table, as Kurogane rose to retrieve the medical chest from next to the door, when all of a sudden blonde hair and bright, concerned eyes met his. Fai stood in the doorway, and looked inside, studying the scene before him, eyes darting to take in everything, before the visible signs of him relaxing were present, and he voiced in an airy chirp, "Need any help?"

"All this fuss for [a] tiny scratch; I'm fine," Syaoran tried to protest. However, it was three against one. Sakura lightly flicked him in the forehead. "Don't argue. If we make a fuss, that means we care about you."

Kurogane admonished himself and the half a smile forming on his face as he brought over the medical chest, setting it down beside the children. He then began to open up drawers, digging out the disinfectant, a clean cloth and some bandages.

Fai stood in the doorway, smiling fondly as Sakura lectured the youth some more with Kurogane tending to the injured finger, "I've watched many [men and women] die from a scratch. If you cut people in particular areas, it will nearly instantly kill them, armor or nay. So I don't want to hear another peep out of you about how severe an injury has to be to be worth a fuss." After her hard little lecture, Syaoran looked to his lap, and mustered out a "sorry". Kurogane said nothing as he cleaned the wound before wrapping it up, but she smiled kindly, leaned over and gently whispered sweetly to him, "Not sorry; say thank you."

"There, all better," Kurogane said, standing back up and putting the remaining supplies back into the medical chest.

Syaoran paused for a moment, looking back at Sakura, before he looked to his parent. "Thank you, Father … for worrying about me."

Kurogane stopped where he was, having never heard his son say that, but he couldn't help the smile that emerged because of it. He ruffled the boy's hair. "You're welcome, my son."

Fai moved from the doorway to the kitchen, and resumed where Syaoran had left off, taking a clean knife and resuming the peelings. "And don't worry about the food, Syaoran. You just take it easy for a few minutes, alright?" called Fai from over his shoulder.

Syaoran began to say sorry again, but paused, "Thank you … Mother."

Fai paused in his peelings to look at Syaoran and a small smile tugged at his lips, different than the one he usually wore, and Kurogane swore he saw pain in those eyes. Those bright blue, gentle eyes. It made little sense. "Of course." Fai returned to staring at the potatoes and peeling them. "Syaoran, why don't you go see where we are heading? Make sure we don't run into any large monoliths peeking from the waters." Fai suggested in a light voice, and Syaoran nodded.

"Alright." Syaoran walked out of the kitchen, and up to the top deck,

Sakura returned to her spot, and resumed chopping the carrots she had been cutting up. Kurogane picked up the medical chest to return it to the where he had picked it up from, when over the shwip, shwip, shwip of Sakura's knife, he could overhear her.

"Don't look at him like that."

Kurogane gently set the chest down, and turned to look at the two. "Like what?" Fai quipped quietly.

"Like he's _her_," Sakura was interrupted with one hand coming over her mouth, and Fai standing otherwise stalk still.

Sakura let out a puff, her words muted. She swatted Fai's hand away, before opening her mouth and speaking in another language. Kurogane could not make out the language, but Fai was holding deathly still, and it took all Fai's strength not to just explode then from the taunting child. Instead, he steeled his resolve.

"Daring she-child," Fai spoke before speaking again in that other language.

Sakura's eyes widened as Fai spoke. "You're cruel, Mother," she whined, as if she hadn't expected such a response, albeit she did.

"It's fitting punishment." She rose her bottom lip into a pout before turning to cutting the carrots, letting out a guttural grunt of discord at the other.

It seemed whatever just happened had receded, but there was tension and aggression in the air, and Kurogane was not too dumb to know that whatever was there, meant something. Not some trivial thing, but something that shook Fai, stirred him up something terrible. Fai got back to work on the food, and finished the potatoes relatively quickly. Once he was done, he chopped them into small chunks, and poured them into the huge cooking pot that was making small gurgling noises as the meaty broth came to a soft boil.

Fai stirred the stew a few times until he was satisfied for now, before leaving the kitchen. When Fai left, Sakura waited a while, before she turned to Kurogane. "Father… can I ask something of you?" she asked in one of those sweet voices.

Kurogane turned to the youth, confused as to when they'd started calling the other their parent as well. His life seemed to have really taken some twisted turn if now his son is calling their kidnapper, mother, and Fai's daughter is calling him father. Strange indeed, even stranger, he thought, was his own attitude. He would not call it contentment, but perhaps more like pieces he didn't know were missing were just coming in, and filling in tiny holes he didn't know were there. He let out a grunt, "What do you want to ask of me? And I'm not your father, she-child."

The girl had a knowing smile, and he swore she learned that one from Fai. "That's what I want to ask of you."

All Kurogane could manage at the moment was a dull "What?" as he stared at the teen.

She moved to the table and sat up on the ledge. "See. It's pretty lonely just Mother and me, what with we are never anywhere civilized for longer than a fortnight , and well Syaoran is all sweet and well. I like him and he's sooo cute, especially when he…" the girl paused, stopping herself from continuing on about his son like that "it'd be nice if you two stayed with us because you wanted to stay with us, not just because you have to. Mother would agree, if Mother would stop being so…" and she struggled to find an appropriate word, "obstinate in head and heart."

"Why are you asking this of me?" questioned Kurogane with a raised eyebrow.

"Because… I think you make a great Father, and Mother needs you, as much as you need Mother." The girl giggled, before taking on a coy glint to her eyes and voice. "Oh yeah, do Father and Mother already play each other in bed yet? I'm still waiting to hear the bedroom moaning."

Kurogane turned quite red in the face, bristling at that last bit. "That… THAT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS LITTLE GIRL!" Kurogane stormed off, and he could still hear the bright laughter echoing in the kitchen, before the familiar sound of chopping.

Kurogane needed to clear his head some from what Sakura was just implying, just saying. He wandered into the study aboard the Mokona, and was only partially surprised when he saw Fai. The study was filled with hundreds of maps, many pinned to the walls, some tucked away in clay vases, the door having a target board on the back and one bookshelf to complete the walls. There was a sturdy workbench with a smooth finish that Fai was sitting at, in one of the nicer oaken chairs, leaning over, mutely staring at the maps spread on the table, a pen twittering in his hands, and a serious, somber look, not at all like his faux smile he usually wore daily. Alone, he let his guard done just a little. It showed on his face when he actually felt comfortable enough to be real.

"I swear your daughter has little filter between mind and mouth."

Fai looked upwards from his current map, and made a lilting smile, "I agree. Most days, the most filter I receive is a muted voice. She is not afraid to speak what is in heart and head."

Kurogane leaned against the most naked spot on the wall, having to close the study door to create a bare spot to lean on, "Speaking of which, she brought up a few valid points."

"Did she now?" Fai set his pen in his ink jar, before intertwining his fingers together and leaning his chin on them, his eyes focused on Kurogane, "What valid points did she bring up?"

Kurogane was pretty blunt as the last one she had mentioned came out first, "You've never asked for sex, although you say you favor the flute in bed."

Fai waved a hand dismissively, "Of course I haven't. I was waiting…"

"You were waiting?"

"Certainly. Any sex I'd have you do forced would be bad for the both of us. And I may own you, but even property deserves respect of their wishes. You don't see me forcing myself with my horses, now do you?"

"I don't think I want to see." Not that Kurogane had a problem so much with him having sex with an animal; he just didn't want to watch Fai make out with one.

Fai smiled, humored. "I was waiting for you to either try to annul your end of the contract, or for you to actually desire sex with me. I won't force that on you. To be perfectly honest, I do enjoy having the sound of your heartbeat to fall asleep to; still, until your end of the contract is annulled, I won't force you to do much anything you do not desire unless your desires endanger my property or my daughter. However, as my property, that does mean you can't just find any and use them for sexual gratification. You may only use yourself or myself for such purposes unless I say otherwise."

"How thoughtful." Kurogane noted that Fai didn't mention himself when he was speaking about endangering what belonged to him. As if, he couldn't hurt what belonged to Fai, but that he could hurt Fai himself. Did Fai actually mean it like that? Hard to tell.

"Is it?" Fai shrugged, before going back to his map, taking the pen from the jar once more and knocking off some excessive ink. He began to continue a thin line that followed an arched southeastern tilt. Kurogane walked around to Fai's backside to view the map, graphing out the entire country of Hanshin(1) in _very _accurate details. Nearest lands were the Nihon Isles, where Suwa had been a part of. There was something about how Fai charted the two that made it apparent how small the Nihon Isles were compared to the other. There was some trade, but very little, and the Nihon Isles were comparably small to the larger Hanshin, like stepping stones to a giant boulder. Following the line from Hanshin, it headed down between two inlets, through the midst of open waters, before arriving in a geographically forested and citied land. Remembering the departure from the grasslands, Kurogane realized Hanshin had quite a nautical distance from the Nihon Isles. They must have stopped somewhere; Kurogane knew they had, a place with rolling hills of grass and a stone tower-like building that led to a corral. A beautiful land with thin air that felt so isolated, it made Suwa seem like a port town from the greater-sized Hanshin. But the map depicted no other place within traveling distance that fit the bill. The time frame, too; a single night to arrive and a week to reach Hanshin. Kurogane was no dolt, and even if the winds and sea favored the ship, time didn't. The nautical distance was too great.

Of course, having air-chi, he supposed Fai could just make the air thinner wherever he went, and might have sailed down to another of the Nihon Isles, only to seriously confuse him. However, it sure didn't seem like he had been. One night, they'd gotten ready, and the next, there was absolutely no land in sight. He should have at least been able to see _some_ land.

"Isn't there something wrong with the map?" Kurogane asked, pointing a finger at the particular map as Fai stared with him at the map.

"There is nothing wrong with the map," Fai spoke in even tones.

"Something is missing."

"No one has ever complained about the inaccuracy of my maps before, Kuro-stab. Are you saying my map making skills are inadequate?"

"I am not saying they are inadequate; I'm saying something is missing. After you left the Nihon Isles, where the Suwa lands a-were… you stopped somewhere… and then we left, to Hanshin."

Fai said nothing, as Kurogane jabbed a finger closer to the map and stared at the back of the other. "Where did you stop before heading to Hanshin?" and added, "And don't tell me nowhere, because I know you stopped _some_where."

Fai tensed, swallowed quietly, before he found his voice. "There … is nothing to tell, Kuro-point. That place can no longer be reached."

_What, the bloody hell, is that supposed to mean?_

"Can no longer be reached?"

"Aye, can no longer be reached."

"How did you get there then?"

"Really, Kurogane, you ask such silly questions." Fai stood up. "I think I am going to check on the stew." He began to walk away. Kurogane growled low in his throat, and grabbed one of the male's arms. Fai paused midstep, before turning to Kurogane, "What is it Kuro-water?"

Kurogane stared long and hard at Fai, "I don't know why you _really_ pretend to be woman, or why you are running away from _what_ever, I really don't care, but don't think you can evade the truth coming out forever." Kurogane then roughly lets Fai arm go and walks out, hunching his shoulders and wearing his own trademark scowl, turning and glaring into startled blue eyes. "I _will_ find out all your secrets, Witch." He speaks with such determination, before he turns around and walks out, slamming the door behind him as he leaves.

Fai might've as well have had the wind knocked out of him from the look on his face. He took a few unsteady steps back, running into his desk, and as he leaned against it, his legs slid out from underneath him and he glided onto the floor. Fai put a hand against his face, and quietly laughed without any mirth, his chest heaving.

"Ah…Ha…ah ah ah…" Fai was smiling, as he quietly spoke, "… how terrible, Kuro-sea. Please, don't bother with knowing me."

Fai didn't come out of his study for some time; Fai didn't even move for some time. Fai just sat there, numbly, holding his legs close to his chest. Why did Kurogane have to say such a thing? Was he really serious? Kurogane didn't seem the type to lie, and with his loyalty and his stubbornness blazingly obvious, Fai felt the swordsman wasn't just saying those words, that Kurogane had every intention of seeing his words through. If it weren't for certain things, Fai thought he'd love that about the swordsman. Paying him the attention, but he really did not want Kurogane to know. He really wanted to be paid attention to by someone who truly cared for him, but feared it all the same. It would only cause the other pain; it's why Sakura was the only one who he openly had allowed to mostly know. Yes, it would be better if the swordsman didn't have to learn of such things. He wouldn't stay forever. One day, he too, would leave him, Fai told himself. Everybody but Sakura always left him. That's why... no one else should have to, should ever be allowed to get close. No one but Sakura planned to ever stay with him permanently.

Shakily, Fai pushed and forced himself to stand. Slowly, he finished getting to his feet. He only managed to slouch, partially seating himself on his desk.

An old memory surfaced.

_When still younger, she would put a note in a bottle and place it into the sea by the port. It felt silly; like a children's game, 'Write your wish on paper, place it in a bottle and cast it to the Witch of the Seas. If she catches your wish, it will be granted'. She went every day, to the port and cast her wish into the sea. He would join her, sit nearby as she cast her wish each day, but never cast a wish himself._

_"What do you wish for so fervently every day?" he asked her that particular afternoon._

_The sun was descending to late afternoon. The waters were a deep blue, with splashes of green, and the gentle breeze blew the edges of blonde hair. The hill was grassy in the summer days, leading to the sandy decline. The two left the place known as home, only long enough for this. Soon, the two were to part, but this time was allowed each day._

_"Do you really want to know?"_

_"Aye, I do really want to know."_

_She paused as she stared at the bottle, and turned to smile. "To always see you smiling."_

_Standing upright, he walked over and stood by her side. "I'll always smile for you."_

_She smiles, "What about you? Why don't you ever make a wish?"_

_"I don't need to do this," Words spoken harshly, then corrected as hurt was brought to her. "I mean... Why ask the Witch of the Seas when she who makes all my wishes come true stands before me?"_

_Surprise registered, but then a warm smile. "...Really... being here with you makes me the happiest."_

_Holding each other's hand, the moment lasted that way until the chimes tolled, announcing the bittersweet departure._

Drink sounded good about now, but that would be a bad idea. Drink and memories never mixed smoothly. Instead, Fai decided to tend to the animals. That sounded like a better distraction. Quietly, he lurched forwards some, gripped the door handle, before managing to head to the stables aboard in a reasonable manner.

THE HISTORICAL CORNER:

**(1) The map of Hanshin** – _Much like this world's Greenland. The Nihon Isles are similar to the Ryukyu Islands, but geographically here are situated much closer to the other land giant. The third mentioned lands are closest to New Zealand. They will be present in next segment._

NICKNAMES:

Kuro-stab – Kuro-stinga

Kuro-point – Kuro-oddr

Kuro-water – Kuro-vatn

Kuro-sea – Kuro-harr


	4. Chapter 4

There was something seriously not right about Fai of D as a Viking, Kurogane told himself mentally, as he walked about the ship. Pacing. Kept him busy as he thought. Vikings were supposed to be cruel evil bastards, who raped pillaged and plundered. Murder was supposed to be a sport for them. He'd spent a month with the two Vikings, yet where was Fai's legion of other Nomadic Vikings? The scrawny village women waiting on his beck and call lest they be flogged for disobedience? Kurogane was still waiting to meet that cruel monster who could kidnap a child only to sell back to [its] folks or to whoever could afford his price in Fai. And waiting for consensual sex? That was just unheard of, especially after claiming his body and life as his. The treatment he'd received was well, to the point that if Fai truly thought of him as property, it downright unnerved him how much freedom Fai was giving him, like some dog on a very, very long leash. Fai had never treated him terribly, as he had expected. Fai was a Viking, after all. Instead, beyond a few small things, like not allowed to call him male in public and, when nigh came, he had to sleep with the other, he pretty much was free to do damn near whatever he wanted. Not that he didn't mind having control over his life. Well, as much control as he could. But seriously. There must be something seriously wrong with Fai… He made a horrible Viking. He was just too… too lax and too nice. It made it hard to hate him, like Kurogane wanted to. He really wanted to hate the other, detest his very existence, but he was finding it harder and harder to do just that, because Fai was exemplifying that he was almost everything he wouldn't think to associate with a mercenary.

He was a Sea-Witch, that wouldn't change, as far as Kurogane was concerned, and Fai was most definitely hiding something. Leaning against a wall, Kurogane tried to find some reason to truly hate him for. Yet, everything he'd seen so far wasn't enough to loathe the other. Lying about his gender? Well, it wasn't bad lying. He was misleading people to believing he was woman using cloth and words; nobody was being hurt because of the lie that he could tell. Unlike rumors which spread, and potentially could hurt someone. Kidnapping them and stealing away their freedom? Hardly; seeing as he did it to save their lives, and Fai hardly obstructed their freedom. He threw back the argument why only them, when he could have saved more. And the rational side of his brain shot back with perfectly acceptable possible answers. After spending much mental debating with himself, regrettably, he lost that argument. Okay, so what about the fact he killed people? Probably for money too. But no; he, too, was responsible for ending other's lives. The secret-keeping and the name calling, though, that he could at least be annoyed and upset with Fai for.

Try as he might, finding cause of hating him seemed ludicrous, until he showed a truly detestable nature. And being upset at him for keeping secrets? Everyone has secrets they don't share. That _Havamal_ he'd been reading earlier mentioned something about "Let one know your secret but never a second. If a third, a thousand will know(1)". To think he was actually upset at him for not answering his questions, that made it seem like he was some possessive husband who thought his wife was cheating on him. He quietly groaned as he realized just how he was acting about the other. Shit! He pressed his palm to his forehead. That she-child probably saw it before either of them did. He wondered if Fai had noticed as well. Hell, had his son thought the same? Is that why the children were both calling them each like their parents?

"AH, hells..!"

Fai walked off, and went to visit where the general majority of his animals lived aboard. He definitely could use some non-human company about now. He exchanged his neat feminine clothes for those better suited for horseplay. Tending to all his corralled and caged animals, he went to making sure all of them had fresh food and water and clean bedding, saving the larger two-horse stall for last. Sloppily tying his hair into a cloth ponytail to get it up a little, he got to work.

Kurogane venture above deck to check on Syaoran, who'd gone to watch the sea as Fai of D had asked about earlier. As he arrived there, he looked around a little before he noticed Syaoran, who was talking with the she-child. She was leaning on the edge of the ship, as she engaged in friendly banter. He wondered if she was done working on the stew or just wanted to talk to Syaoran. Remembering her own talk from a while ago, he hoped she wasn't talking to his son about those same things. Doubtful though, as it seemed both of them were laughing about something. Sakura was laughing wildly, while Syaoran was quietly chuckling. He quietly approached the two, not hiding his presence, just not being loud about it like Fai, who would be the exact opposite. Sakura saw first, but Syaoran heard first. They both stopped almost at the same time, and Syaoran turned his good eye towards his father.

"Heil, Father," Syaoran said, pleasantly, and Sakura mimicking him before hopping down from the railing, and leaning closer to Syaoran, "Tell me more later, okay?" Sakura asked sweetly, before leaning in and kissing the boy's cheek, then walking away.

"A-aye," Syaoran said turning bright red from blushing. The kid was hopeless at times.

Kurogane watched as the she-child sauntered off, before walking up to Syaoran and leaning against the railing with his arms, staring at the waters around them. They were a deep blue, some of the water green, and the water passing the ship by blue and white as it crested on the neck of the ship. Wind pushed the sails on the ship forward. Kurogane was slightly curious if it naturally got enough wind to travel, or did Fai help it out, like blowing a breath on one of those child-built sailboats, where you would use your breath to blow your boat to the finish line in those festivals.

"Fair weather," Kurogane said noticing there wasn't much about. The May weather was clear, with some clouds in the sky and the earlier fog had faded. It must be near ten, presumed Kurogane, with the positioning of the sun. Beneath the ribcage-designed hull of the boat, he knew to be fish and sea mammals of various types, of plants that grew only in water, water and more water. Eventually the water would lead to land, and sometimes that land would come out of the water.

"A-aye," Syaoran spoke, returning his flustered face and gaze towards the open waters.

The waters were calm, and breeze gentle. A flock of whitish-gray birds flew overhead. Overall, things were serene. Minutes passed in sea-filled silence.

"What were you talking about earlier?" Kurogane mumbled.

"Eh?"

"You and the she-child. You sounded to be having fun." Kurogane said, before quietly muttering, "Just wondering what it was."

"Oh, Sakura and I?" Syaoran said, hints of blush appearing again, "She was wanting to cheer me up. We began exchanging stories. Mostly, Sakura was telling me stories."

"Oh yeah? What kind of stories?" asked Kurogane, curious enough to implore more.

"Like when she'd injured her leg afore, and shrugged it off as 'tis but a flesh wound. I can still walk.' Apparently that's when she got [the] same scolding she gave me from her Mother."

"Her leg was injured?"

"Aye; a spear was lanced all the way through."

"Huh. You'd never know looking at her."

"Aye. Even the doctors from home would have likely had to have amputated the limb, but her Mother was able to save it without infection. And when she was bit by poisonous snake, her Mother was able to cure her of the venom. Wherever Mother grew up, she must have received advanced medical knowledge."

"Aye…" Kurogane said. Kurogane was somewhat familiar with medicine. Tomoyo had been wise into treating common things, and with a slightly accident-prone child, he'd made sure to learn things too. Most things involving medicine, Kurogane had learned from watching her, and from what time he had with his parents, when his father would come home. Other than that, there was some common sense. There wasn't much medicine in Suwa, and of the Nihon Isles, Tokyo and Heian were more suited to healing. Well, until Heian was destroyed by a hurricane just over a decade ago. Yet, Fai had chests and chests of medicine, able to have one in every room and then some. The medicine in them wasn't as simple as Suwa's; there was a lot more variety. The cupboards of the chest had been labeled and the contents labeled so that, for the most part, even an illiterate could find what they were looking for in it, and put it back in its place. Indeed, either Fai of D came from somewhere with advanced medicine, traded for them or he destroyed a land for it. Though, his rising judgments of the other left him to think perhaps more of the first and second than the last one. However, Fai must also have a working knowledge of how medicine worked and reacted. How else could he cure someone from snake venom? So he knew at least enough to know about medicines, but also about poisons. It seemed very possible he even knew how to make both. But that knowledge was not common. Doctors, surgeons, priestesses, and apothecaries would have the most knowledge of medicine. Fai did seem used to treating injuries, he remembered, but there was definitely something … off about it too. Same with how Fai had just appeared seemingly out of nowhere, after Syaoran had just slit his finger.

Kurogane turned back towards Syaoran. "Is your finger doing weal?"

"Aye; my finger is doing weal."

"That's weal."

"Aye."

Once he had finished tending the others, letting Fuuma and Kamui out to stretch their wings and catch some food, he entered the stalls with Soel and Larg together, taking in his supplies. Pulling out a brush, he began combing Soel's mane. Soel gently rubbed her muzzle against the blonde's side, lipping his side harmlessly. Fai laughed a little, as it tickled some, before Larg decided to join in, head bobbing friendly and rubbing against his back, causing Fai to lurch forwards some, with a light 'oomph'.

"You too, Larg?" Fai said, with a light chuckle. Often, animals, and some persons, he'd admit, had a knowing. A knowing of what you needed most and when. Fai reached over with his free hand and lightly scratched the top of Larg's head. Fai continued to brush Soel's mane, until Larg's insistence that it was her turn made him have to temporarily stop.

"Easy, Larg," Fai scolded with a playful lilt, turning to face the friendly beast. Larg let out a soft puff of air, pawing at the padded ground with a single hoofed foot. Fai let out a huff of breath right back, before taking the brush he held to Larg's mane.

Fai continued to brush Larg's mane, the slow movements that required little thought allowed thinking. But Soel gently lipped the back of his neck, nuzzling her velveteen muzzle against a slender neck, and gumming some of his hair. Fai let out a small indignant squeak, and moved away from her nose. That really tickled, and they knew it. Between the equal distractions and amusement the two provided, it took longer to do both horses than all the other animals combined. After all, the other animals hadn't made a habit of finding his ticklish spots and occasionally exploiting them.

After checking on his son, gaining some new information on the Vikings and confirming Syaoran hadn't reinjured himself, Kurogane wandered around in the belly of the ship, somehow managing getting lost, as he hadn't been paying close attention in his wanderings around the ship, as his mind wandered to what he was just finding out, and having to fix some judgments he had initially cast of the two 'women'. However, as he entered the stables, able to smell them by the strong scent of hay and hearing some whinnying going on, he had to pause. He said nothing as he moved to the side and leaned against a wooden post nearby, silently watching Fai with the two horses. Just stood there, watching the blonde Viking. There was an openness he saw then in Fai that he hadn't seen much before. Fai tackled Soel's neck into a large hug, before spewing a line of mumbled gibberish into her furry neck, and at that moment, he actually looked happy, and not just smiling. The only time Fai had looked honestly close to that happy was when he got a strong reaction out of him, usually from those annoying nicknames. Fai's hair was lightly, sloppily, tugged into a cloth holder, keeping his pale neck relatively revealed, and he actually looked more masculine in his work clothes. Instead of some ludicrous assortment of layers to shift his appearance and make it feminine, these clothes were actually meant for the men to wear. His work clothes consisted of a pair of loose cotton breeches, a rudimentary bronzing tan, a powder blue silk shirt beneath a tabard of his own, sky blue with intricate embroidery work on the sleeve that took the form of a giant wing. Scratch that, it went onto the back of the tabard and a wing of equal stature was on the other sleeve. Between the wings looked to be a firebird, embroidered with golden thread, easily disguisable under Fai's golden hair. Small glimpse revealed that the bird's eyes was a more amber color, with a thin layer of blue on the outside of the iris. And for a girl color, he looked really good in it. He actually looked better like that than when he wore some of his feminine clothes. Yet, the tabard looked like it was originally made to show someone of powerful stature in society, yet Fai wore it when working like some scrawny stable boy. The irony of the picture made Kurogane take a step backwards, as he reexamined the area around him.

Each of the horse stalls were well crafted, and reminded him of those from that unknown hilly place. The hay seemed fresh and vibrant gold, bound tightly and kept dry. The floor was covered in a grass hay, wood peeking out under any bare spots in the bronzing hay. Past the stalls was a garden, not a very large one, but with some leafy plants. There was a small Ushagison rabbit lazing about in it, taking a sunbath. There was a pile of crapped on bedding near a small pit, filled with hay, dead grass, potato peelings and assortment of other … things, used for a compost heap. Fai usually had it covered up, and there was a sign hanging above it. Kurogane recalled it said "Waste not, want not". The peregrine falcons were no longer in their cage, the door wide open, so he could assume that they had been let out by the other without making too much of an ass of himself. Seishiro sat poised on a high shelf, perched with his tail twitching lightly; he looked as if he was stalking that little mouse, and getting ready to pounce on his prey. Admittedly, like usual, the cat didn't catch the mouse.

Soel shook her head a few times, and Fai undeterred in his attentions to the white beast, swished his body so that he was now riding her bareback, letting out a childish sounding victory laugh, to be greeted with a nose whickering at his ankle. Raising his combing brush in one arm, he posed like one might raise a sword before charging into battle. His movements were over exaggerated and childish. Fai brought the brush down to smite the beast with it, and as it connected against the horse's back, albeit as hard as a gentle tap, she let out a soft dying whinny, stumbled around like a drunken sailor before she softly dropped down to her legs. Fai then began to brush her backside with the brush, before Larg walked over, nudging her muzzle straight into Fai's side. Fai let out a startled yelp, quickly scrambling off the 'fallen mare', now standing with both hands raised high in the air to the black horse, completely submissive in posturing. Soel got back up as if nothing had just happened, lightly flicking her head back and forth, mane swishing about.

Kurogane glanced back at the scene with a curious eye. The three of them seemed to be playing some kind of nonverbal game. It was the first time he had seen Fai play a game with the animals. Besides the annoying name mutilations, the only games Fai had really partaken in around him were playing with others' minds and entertaining the children. Seeing him physically playful was another sight altogether. He turned his full attention to watching the other as the three of them engaged in their physical game. No language was needed between the three of them, but a great deal of trust was as one wrong move could turn this innocent game into a load of pain, potentially fatal. But Fai didn't fear his horses, nor did he abuse his animals. Instead, as far as Kurogane could tell, he showed them respect, kept their bedding cleaned regularly, and always made sure they had food and water available. He ultimately had his favorites, but none were neglected.

Fai swooped in low and let out a low fwoo, blowing hot air into the horse's ear whom shook her black head at him, ear twitching. Fai chuckled, as the horse responded characteristically to him, before he lightly wrestled with the horse's leg, holding her hoof up and examining her hoof, before swishing about between the two, checking each foot amongst the other playful ruses and antics, and play wrestling.

Kurogane noted, with some small satisfaction, that Fai looked like he was actually being real while having fun amidst the work. Large boisterous movements, and his hair a bit damp and disheveled with hay and horse saliva in a few places, tender and real smiles flitting between the wilder exaggerated ones of play, slightly flushed cheeks, childish mannerisms with alternating levels of teasing and being teased with the horses. He wasn't afraid to get dirty or play rough, considering the level of power and strength in just one horse of his, and he was playing it up with two. But, he was also doing work, tending and caring for the horses, amidst the drama and the play, where Fai groomed the horses or took care of an itch, smacked a fly that had somehow gotten in, keeping it from bothering the horses, checking and cleaning their hooves, changing the hay, replenishing their food and water. This side of him was much more insightful to watch than him pretending to be a girl with the general public. Then things started to get a little awkward in the stalls when Fai made a light startled noise, as the black horse intentionally nudged the other straight off his two feet and into the large pile of hay at the back of the stall.

Fai is actually surprised by their sudden extra playful behavior. For some reason, they were getting very frisky, nosing about, and tickling him. More than when he smells like food, or hides an apple. "H-hey, cut it out. Ah! Hey, st-stop … t-that tickles…!" Fai squeaked and giggled as he squirmed at the affections of the horses, becoming a bit flustered as they only continued to nuzzle and tease him, finding sensitive areas to tickle with practiced ease.

Kurogane watched as the two horses cornered Fai before becoming very touchy, using their heads and muzzles on the other. Seeing as the thought had already been implanted earlier, thanks mostly in part to the she-child, the notion of what it might be like to be with Fai found footing in his mind, as he had never been with a guy before, -and definitely not a cross dressing male, that actually sometimes made him want to think that he only imagined that he saw Fai with a manhood. It didn't take much before his mind wandered, slowly started to imagine what it _might_ be like if he were where the horses were, if Fai was physically _with_ him. Instead of the black horse nudging him with her muzzle, if he were the one to slide his hand up Fai's side, pushing up layers of cloth to reveal that undoubtedly fair chest. Instead of one whiskery velveteen muzzle caressing his chest, nibbling harmlessly about, pushing him into the hay and the other whickering at his neck, gaspy, soft laughter coming from Fai because of the tickle-tease, squirming from soft whiskery touches, if his hands were the ones that pinned him down and finding what little physical turn-ons the male had, planting kisses on his neck and chest, tweaking nubs with fingers and teeth. And as the other made a light gasping noise, caused when the white horse lightly knocked her muzzle straight between his legs, lipping at his thigh and turning him into a giggling flustered mess, images of pushing himself between the other's legs, stroking him before pushing lithe legs up, inflaming his asshole, before entering into the man as he pressed close to the other filled his mind. A rising blush filled his cheeks, realizing just how much trouble he was getting into, as he was feeling himself get hard under his breeches.

They seemed to carry on for a while of relentless teasing, before settling down, so Fai could catch his breath. Fai gave them a questioning look once they decided to stop, backing up a bit while acting completely innocent of any foul play. Fai lightly stood back up. "Time to return the favor," Fai said with a feral smirk and a domineering hint to his voice, as he got his own little payback at the horses, blowing in their ears in a soft breath, making their ears twitch, repeatedly, and teasing them just as viciously, before returning to what they had been doing prior to the teasing.

Deciding he needed to get away before things could get any more awkward or intense in the stalls, his usually lackluster imagination having really got away with him this time, quietly, he forced himself to leave the Viking alone with the horses. Their innocent little game was becoming one really erotic fantasy in his head, and with the turnabout, it took a new turn in his mind, as he began to imagine being the one on bottom, the blonde teasing him, preparing him, taking him. And he could feel the desire so painfully there, throbbing with need. Yet, there was no way he wanted to get caught getting hard because of his imagination. There was no way he wanted Fai to notice just how much power he really had over him just yet. And there definitely was no way he wanted to jerk off in the stables to relieve himself from fantasizing about his (seemingly too nice) 'owner'. Just no way in hell.

Fai had not been trying to stir him. He possibly hadn't even known he was there, but Fai had such a ... charm about him, he didn't have to try. Rather, he thought, if he tried, it would probably only annoy him. But Fai tugged at him, where he hadn't been tugged on in years. And he felt it, both in his chest and his groin. Fai was stirring mixed feelings in him, and he was not sure he liked it. Even just watching Fai as he frolicked in his work had sent a spark through his nerves and hit him with hard. And he normally would never imagine another sexually. Admittedly his wife was attractive, but he had never thought to imagine her in such a way. Ever. And he'd married her. But this Fai-person, there was just this ... thing about him, that made him want to know, want to know his mind, his body, his heart... More than the judgments he'd cast of Fai, how evil Sea-Witches we're supposed to be, how they were supposed to be just monsters on boats, only respectable for their strength and mastery of the Seas. But Fai... he was inherently different than all that. He was just different. His head was still debating over him, but he could not fully deny that he felt a strong sense of luster for Fai. He knew there was more to it than that, but would not dare call it love. There was no way he could be in _love_ with Fai. Could there?

After some more work and less play, Fai flomped into the fresh hay with Soel and Larg into a pile of limbs and blonde. Soel walked closer and nuzzle-faced his chest. For giant beasts, they sure could be awfully gentle and caring. Larg stood a bit to the distance, but kept a watch on things. Fai smiled, and petted Soel. She let out a soft whinny, head bobbing against his chest. Fai let out a small oomph before laughing softly.

Fai wondered what time it was, but could not see the position of the sun, so he wasn't sure, but knew it must be approaching late morning; maybe early after noon. He supposed eventually Sakura would come looking for him, telling about something that needed tending, or maybe Kurogane would come by and ask what he was doing, lazing about like a damned fool. That thought made him smirk with some small fondness and chuckle a bit. Maybe Syaoran would and would say that he found something interesting in the water. Either way, he definitely needed to get up soon.

Finding his way to his feet, Fai figured after that long with the animals, he probably could use a wash. Sighing, he petted the muzzles of both Soel and Larg before leaving their stall.

Fai found baths often to be relaxing and refreshing, the hot water eased the tired of sore muscles. Kurogane was there, had for at least a little while. How long was debatable. He just finished heating a large tub of water when Fai had walked in, after all. Fai politely thanked him for heating up the bath for him, being slightly flirtatious and teasing, as he preened over the side of the tub. Kurogane hadn't really responded. Fai pouted lightly, having been trying to coax at least a small reaction from the other, like a barky 'I didn't make this for you, Witch,' maybe a muttered 'Why would I make you a bath' or at the least some indication of why Kurogane had been heating the water up for in the first place. All he'd gotten was a dismissive 'Whatever'. He let out a quiet breath before testing the waters, then slowly stripping to nothing but the light blue shirt and climbing in. Might as well; it'd be a waste otherwise to have the water heated but not used. Fai smiled before deciding to try to play with the other again. "Kuro-wet…" Fai trilled in a sing-song voice, before leaning his arms against the edge of the tub. "Join me in here? There's plenty of room for Kuro-water too," he purred.

"Who- who would want to bathe with you?"

Fai smirked as he was able to get Kurogane to react this time, before returning the question back, "Who wouldn't want to bathe with me? Besides, you were the one heating the water for me."

"Cocky, aren't you?"

"Not at all. Many [men and women] have expressed a desire to bathe and be intimate with myself. Of course, Kuro-gaze is the first since I became a Sea-Witch, as you so enjoy to put it."

That was a surprise. "How long have you been a Sea-Witch?"

"I suppose it's been nearly a decade or so."

"And no one has seen you in that time?"

"Not one in the same way as you and Sakura."

"How can you be so sure?" Kurogane countered, "Perhaps someone looked when you were asleep."

Fai waved his hand dismissively, "I don't sleep well. I'd know if someone had ghosted a peek in my sleep."

"You seem to sleep just fine lately."

Fai sank lower into the waters, pulling out a coy smirk. "Maybe having a big growly dog in bed keeps my sleep protected."

Kurogane paused there. Wait a goddamn - Hold the axe. Did he just… "Who are you calling a dog?!"

Fai laughed gaily. "What other big strong working dog finds bedding with me but you,… Big Dog?"

Kurogane narrowed his gaze, glaring at the other, before responding, "I dunno. Considering how you got along with the she-_horses_ earlier, I'd say you have no trouble find plenty of **real** dogs to sleep with."

"So you were there. I knew I felt prying eyes."

"The Witch can actually smile."

"I smile all the time."

"You wear a smile; but you aren't always smiling."

Fai paused, before he let out a sigh. "Really, Kuro-halfway…" Fai looked towards Kurogane, "Are you going to join me in bath? If you're just going to stand around undecided, I'd prefer to be without." Kurogane stared at Fai, and saw a flicker of something left asked and unsaid in those eyes, like a question that he should be hearing but didn't quite understand it yet. Something subtle and implied and important, but he couldn't put his finger on it quite yet. And as Fai lay soaking wet in the tub, nearly naked and physically exposed, Kurogane silently weighed his options, finding most left him feeling … uncomfortable. And the way Fai's eyes stared up at him, he felt that chill down his spine that surprised him, and frightened him and excited him all at once.

After a moment, Fai let out a breath, returning his gaze to the warm waters, taking a nearby cloth, lathering it up and using it to scrub his arms. Kurogane growled low in his throat; instead of leaving Fai to be or joining him in the tub, Kurogane walked over to the tub's side and slowly reached out, putting his hands on Fai's shoulders. Fai tilted his head back, sapphires meeting rubies.

"Help you wash."

A small smile quirked at his lips before he leaned forward. "You don't have to…if you don't want to." Fai spoke in such a quiet voice, it was very difficult to hear him.

"What was that?"

"Kuro-sea is being _super_ sweet today," Fai chirped unhelpfully, "Maybe Kuro-water pretends but he actually cares and cares weal for others, like a big growly Father dog. Silly Father, pretending is my job."

"S-shut up, Witch!" Kurogane said, glad the other could not see the blush that had formed on his face because of that. But the way Fai seemed amused; he supposed that he didn't have to see to guess that that's what he was doing, which only made him turn a little pinker.

Bundling the man's long hair, Kurogane pushed it over a lone shoulder so he could focus on Fai's back. Pushing the other's shirt up, Kurogane could see it was a pretty expanse of porcelain, milk-white skin. Raised bumps beneath his shoulders showed some bone but otherwise appeared lean and healthy. However, it was pure of any imperfection, not even a single battle scar or birth defect. It was… beautiful and oddly disappointing. The distant thought of raking nails down its perfection, marking it up, found room in his brain, and he shook the thought away. Taking a clean cloth, Kurogane got it wet before lathering in soap and using it to scrub Fai's backside. Fai smiled softly, quietly taking in the smells, breathing in a slow rhythmic pattern, before piping back up.

"So, since you're here, what did the black swordsman do to stave boredom off before we arrived in Suwa lands?"

"There was always work to be done at home," Kurogane said dismissively.

"What about for fun? Didn't you do anything to just… relax and have a good time? Maybe have some quality family time?" asked Fai stretching his arms above his head, and while in the tub making it look like a cat stretching.

Kurogane thought on that. When he was a child there was climbing trees and roughing it out with some of the local children. As he grew older, well, hunting and fishing, cutting wood and training to get stronger were more predominantly what he'd done. Other than that, he really just found work to do, the most primal of shopping, tilling the land, making firewood, cooking and tending the home. He supposed training Syaoran, mealtime and caring for his wife's hair was his family time.

Fai turned a bit to look over his shoulder, staring at Kurogane, "Ye truly be someone who hath little fun when not keeping yourself occupied," Fai mused out loud, lilting a humored smile.

Kurogane glanced back at Fai, "Is that problematic?"

"Nay. Less work for the women if Father and son are helping too. If everyone helps, there's more time to relax when the day is done." Fai let out a soft hum, "And if you're still bored when we arrive on land, the next place we're heading to has trees. You can definitely go chop up some so we have more firewood. After all, you like hard, physical work like that, right? It would be good for you, too, to have something to use those big strong muscles of yours for besides gathering blubber."

"Do you ever just shut up when you should shut up?"

Fai laughed, "What does Kuro-sea think? Am I too noisy?"

"Aye …" Kurogane began. Fai chuckled lightly at that.

"Except for when you're hiding something from us; then you be too quiet."

Fai stiffened for a moment, his breath catching in his throat; after, he leaned back to briefly stare at Kurogane, wearing a tight grin. "For someone who barely knows me, you sure seem to know me."

Turning back around, he leaned further into the waters, "Mm… by the way, what did you do with the water? [Water] smells absolutely wonderful."

"… Nothing. Just heated it is all." Kurogane looked away from Fai, blushing faintly.

"Really? Now why is that difficult to believe?"

Kurogane passed off a shrug, "Don't know. You the story-teller."

It must have been near the middle of the month, when Fai piloted the Mokona to some closed off and hidden alcove, not easy to spot by land or water. The place had been near invisible against the sea from where they sailed. For a while, Kurogane half-wondered if Fai was being suicidal and going to ram them into the cliff side, but no, Fai knew it was there, and expertly piloted the Mokona into the hole in the wall space with some guidance from his daughter.

A small path led above ocean level, up to the mainland of the island they came to. The forest nearby was lively; grass flowed and shifted in the gentle breeze. Fai moved and sat amongst the grass, barefoot, smiling serenely as he leaned up against one of the tall trees, eyes closed and just listening to the sounds around him. The particular tree looked to be the deadest thing around, as its branches were completely bare of leaves, while most everything around the area had sprung to life.

Not too far away, Syaoran began practicing his swinging, safe from hitting anyone or getting hit by flying chips of wood, as Kurogane had climbed up a different tree, and swinging one of Fai's machetes down upon one of its larger branches so they could use its wood. After a while, Sakura sits down next to Fai, and begins to sharpen one of her many concealable blades, when Fai speaks to her.

"Sakura, my daughter, will we find it here?" he asks her, his voice barely louder than her whittling stone.

"You will not find it here," Sakura responded with a small huff, as she continued her blade sharpening. "However, there is something here we should investigate."

Fai smiles, yet doesn't pat her on her head, as Kurogane remembered he had when he had been standing and she beside him in the square.

Kurogane overheard the exact words Fai spoke this time. It seemed Fai was _looking_ for something. And also, it seemed Sakura _seemed_ to know if he would find it, or at least he would ask and she would say that Fai wouldn't. What it was Fai was seeking, now that was still a mystery. Kurogane could not deny that his curiosity was piqued. Well, then again, he did recently tell the belying man that he would find out all his secrets. What _was_ it that Fai was seeking? What was he after? And _why_, in Cero's name, did he feel a twisting in his stomach, like it would be horribly **bad** for _Fai_ if Fai found whatever he was after? The puzzle vexed him; for now, he was bound to the other, he found little point trying to fight the other for his freedom if he would still be with the other, because of Syaoran, and while he was stuck with him, he thought he would do his best to figure out all the little pieces, find out the truth and secrets behind the Sea-Witch. If nothing else, it gave his mind something to do. He could easily keep his body busy, but now he also had a focus for his mind too.

Getting answers wasn't exactly going to be easy, and being Kurogane, that was fine. He could be a stubborn and tenacious bastard himself. If Fai was going to play his games, he'd be the hunter, stalking the mercenary's psyche down and probe until he peeled apart every layer of that damn witch. Mental, metaphysical, physical emotional and otherwise, until he figured out just who exactly was this Witch.

The creaking of the branch told Kurogane that it was about to let go, and with a final chop, the majority of the branch gave way, and fell to the earth below. With Syaoran's help, it was reduced to large chunks of wood and bark and kindling, and the women helped carry it to the ship for use and finer turning into firewood later. The afternoon went by swiftly, and after a quick rest for lunch, Fai began getting ready to go somewhere on horseback. With everything put away, he led his two favorite horses from their stall and up onto the land. Donning on his cloak and grabbing a fresh change of clothes for them, he assisted Sakura up onto the Clydesdale before joining the female. "Be you coming boys?"

Not like they really had much choice, but it was nice that Fai asked. After donning on their own cloaks, Kurogane assisted Syaoran up onto Larg, before climbing up after him.

It was a five hour horse ride to where they were going. The land was docile, green plains stretched for miles on end with no clearly made road, only a couple horse trails that were snakelike in their twists and turns. The place looked similar to the land he had first awoken to, if the place had been more mountainous and with cliffsides. But it felt completely different, and the air was much thicker, but not as savory. There was a certain … charcoalness to the air that made the thick air hard, breaths more shallow. It felt like … ashes were mixed in the air. And then it was gone. The air was clean and pure, as though shifting to … to how he remembered Suwa lands airs were like. Immediately, Kurogane turned to Fai. "What did you do, Witch?"

Fai shifted his gaze from the road ahead, to lightly look at Kurogane, "What do you mean, what did I do? I'm simply riding my mare."

"You have air chi, and now the air is different. What did you do?"

Fai wore a smile, "But Kuro-breath… Isn't the air easier for you now?"

Kurogane glared at him hard and long. His voice was steady as he slowly enunciated each word again. "What did you do, Witch?"

Fai waved a flippant hand in their general direction, "I merely cleaned the air up for you boys; really, if Father is always suspicious, the son will learn to be the same."

The answer was vague on what Fai was specifically referring to. Exactly what had he cleared from the air around him? …charcoal and ashes. The memory of burned corpses, a field of ashes, the illness that made lungs to cough blood. A home residing merely as a place for those condemned, not for crimes, but as those touched by the black demons.

"Are you able to keep demons away?"

Fai laughed, once; tight and without mirth, "Not even I am that powerful, to truly be able to keep demons away."

Although he seemed to look at him lewdly from time to time, Fai never acted upon nor asked of any sexual cravings or favors. And those eyes, as bright and impossibly blue as they were, crystalline sapphires, had spurred a deep interest in the swordsman. A carnal hunger he wanted to deny he felt for the other, but wouldn't fool himself to believing otherwise. Fai was attractive, in some ways similar to his wife, but not at all the same. There was no woman, or man, who could replace her, who could be her, but Fai wasn't trying to replace her, or be her, yet still finding a way to pull him in. Fai may not have been an honest man -how could he when he was already fooling everyone around him, tricking them to believe he was woman- he may not have been making a completely honest living -stealing is in no way considered honest, but he didn't always steal- he may be annoying at times -what with those ridiculous name callings- but he was not a despicable creature; he had his flaws -who didn't have a flaw in them-, but the way he took care of all four of them -what he called his family, as twisted as calling the four of them a family was-, how he did his best to bring a smile to a child's face –like in Hanshin-, cook and clean for them, how he acted selfish about really very little, or if he did, it was a mere ploy to help out another. Upon further analysis, Fai really didn't care much about his own health, willing to risk more of his safety before those around him. In battle, he might shirk off, trying to quell the situation without drawing arms, but he would not watch his friends and family get hurt without jumping in to the aid.

As the four crossed, there came a part where they could not cross on horseback. So the children continued forth on foot while Fai searched for a place to bring the horses around, when there was an ambush. Fai began shooting the enemy from the distance, aiding the children, when someone sneaked up on him. Fai had just shot down another person, who had dared raise a hand to his Sakura (whilst she wielded her skillet against the others, attacking and protecting from Syaoran's blind side), when someone snuck up and attacked Fai. Fai had been caught slightly unaware as Soel whinnied, reared up and knocking Fai off. Tumbling onto the ground, the arrow in his hand snapped as he scraped his knuckles and knees on the hard earth. The attacker manages to carve a good slice into Fai's left leg and dress before Fai scuttles back some. Yet, the look of pure shock that registered on his face was so deep, Fai nearly allows the other to slay him without so much as raising a hand, or weapon, to defend himself. Kurogane, who was the closest, notices and throws a nearby spear straight at the other, impaling Fai's attacker from behind. The spear had so much force behind it, not only did it kill the assailant, it destroyed most of the wooden spear handle, splintering to shards. Fai was still seated where he'd fallen, that horrified look in his eyes before he lowered his gaze, Kurogane rushing to meet him. The gash on his leg was not life-threatening, but walking would be slightly impaired. When Fai looked back up at Kurogane, who now stood right before him, that smile was practically etched onto his face, like another mask. It hurt to look at the smiling charade, as Fai waved off the injury like it was nothing. The hypocrite. "Looks like you saved me." Fai remarked in a light voice.

Kurogane had been annoyed, and scowled disprovingly at the other. "Don't smile if you don't mean it." Taking out his sword sheath from his hip, sword and all, Fai looked at him with a look of inquizzical surprise, as Kurogane kneeled down beside Fai, setting it down beside him. He then gripped the leg, putting pressure over the wound. Fai hissed and his grin was only half there, the rest switching to a pained grimace, his eyes reflecting the hurt of his leg.

"Who was he to you?" he asked as he held the leg, Soel pawing nearby, gently rubbing her nuzzle into Fai's back, as though to apologize.

"Hmm?" Fai makes an imploring sound as if not quite hearing Kurogane's question while one hand reached up, stroking Soel's muzzle.

"Who was _he," _Kurogane said, tilting his head to indicate the dead warrior, "to _you_?"

"Never knew him," Fai said lightly. From the expression earlier, Kurogane knew that was a downright lie.

Kurogane squeezed Fai's leg a little tighter, causing the man to flinch. "Don't give me that crap. You knew him, and he meant something, so spill it… Who _was_ he?"

Fai shrugged, "I really didn't know him, Kurogane. But he_…" _Fai began, completely uncomfortable with the words that were coming out of his lips. "He knew me."

_Knew_. The word was past tense, meaning that Fai wasn't always Fai of D, Mother of the Dragons, kidnapper of villagers, Viking mercenary, pillager and trader of goods, and woman pretender extraordinaire. Of course not; that would be just farcical. But still, that was an interesting development, to meet someone that knew of Fai's past, before he became the 'woman' he was today. But he was already dead; Kurogane speared him down, and now his lips had no words to speak.

"I see," Kurogane said with a feral smirk, slightly unnerving the blonde. But he did his best to suppress that, to not let Kurogane know how much that bothered. "So there are still people left who knew you as someone else?"

"It's … possible, there are still people left who knew me as someone else."

About a mile out, they slowed down to a halt on an outcropping, looking over a town with a large castle nearby, a giant stone wall barricade. Fai looked the place over, as he peered through a spyglass at the place from the distance. Sakura leaned against their mare's mane, with Syaoran currently holding the reigns of the other horse. Even from his vantage point on Larg, the place looked like a solidified fort to Kurogane.

"Wheet hwoo…that's _some_ Fortress," Fai said, voicing a whistle as he smiled in that falsely carefree way.

"Looks as difficult as getting Mother to fall," Sakura muttered under her breath, eyeing the stonework.

"Aye. It will be difficult, alright…" Fai spoke, hearing his daughter. So did Syaoran and Kurogane. But then again, they didn't have the same frame of reference as Fai did to what his daughter meant.

"Are you going to pillage that place?" Kurogane asked, and Fai turned to look at him, grinning.

"Mm, maybe I will, maybe I won't. It's debatable." Fai made a light hum. "Depends on what I find there. Anyway, I'm going to go check that place out; you guys are more than free to come along."

No arguments were offered from the others, although Kurogane did scowl a bit. He knew it wasn't really a real choice, but Fai had made it sound like they actually had one. Kurogane looked back towards the fortress, Syaoran staying rather still, observing the looming destination. The land was garrisoned, leaning over 50 soldiers guarding the entrance gateway. Fai explains in vagueness that he just needed to get past the front guards, without raising too many suspicions.

"This is suicide," Kurogane grunted.

"This is just a friendly greeting. Really, Father, if you act like that, the children will imitate." And Fai fluttered golden eyelashes at him prettily. Kurogane stared at the other, as he rode the horse emanating the saddleback style for women, the way his eyes just sparkled, and the way the wind blew his blonde bangs about. He found he liked what he saw, then finding himself annoyed that he had thought that Fai actually looked … cute. Vikings and cute should not be in the same sentence. "You look stupid like that."

"How mean, Kuro-no-fun. And after I've been nothing but good to you."

"... annoying Witch…" he muttered.

Fai pouted briefly before smiling again, shifting bangs to the side of his face behind an ear. Kurogane noticed he seemed to do that a bit … and annoyed at himself further for thinking it was a cute quirk of the blond Witch. There shouldn't be anything _cute_ about a Sea Witch. Much less… _attractive_. But Fai seemed to prove that conception wrong and right at the same time without even trying.

Getting in was easy. The night before, Fai instructed the boys to hide as soldiers. However, there's only one way that Fai had logically recommended that sounded like it wouldn't get them killed. Knock out two of their soldiers and dress in their clothes. The night of, they managed to allude detection, before silently Sakura knocked out a smaller one and Fai went after one of their taller ones. It was a quick switch, lest they be caught and the getting in much faster, but well, he couldn't guarantee that they would have the same rate of getting in without more problems. There was some small rustling from the other guards, and Fai and Sakura were quick to make themselves invisible, whilst Kurogane eased Syaoran with the others, providing a small excuse of giving Fai and Sakura more time to make themselves and the two unconscious soldiers scarce.

Morning came the next day, and while Kurogane and Syaoran blended in as they were told to do, by performing like the other soldiers, and guard the place, there was no way the rest of them could have been prepared for the Vikings that came to them. Raising their weapons, the proceed to enter was halted momentarily as Fai and Sakura rode on separate horses.

"Who goes there?" a soldier asked, spear level with the neck of Fai's horse.

"Please lower your weapons, good sirs," Fai says charmingly.

"What business have you here?" another guard questions.

"I have come, by orders of the Lord here; he has sent word to my people to appear before him," Fai answered easily.

"And the she-child?"

"She is my daughter; in leaving my people, she was to come with me as well."

"Why haven't we received word of your arrival?"

This is where Kurogane knew he and Syaoran were to respond. They moved closer to the guard, before Syaoran spoke up.

"We received word, sir. The Lord requested that they be escorted immediately upon their arrival."

The leader turned to Kurogane and Syaoran. "Is this so, soldier?"

"It is sir. The Lord has been expecting them for some time,"

The real soldier looks between them, but is not given much choice, but to believe them. "Very well; you two. Once past the gate, guide these ladies safely to the Lord."

He lightly places a hand on Soel's neck and walks with Fai towards the entrance of the gate, Syaoran and Kurogane walking behind the two horses. At the gate, the soldier bowed properly. "I hope you find the town hospitable, milady."

"Thank you, kind soldier," Fai said, leaning over, and kissing his cheek in a dainty manner. The soldier lightly flushed before rejoining the soldiers outside the city, who was then lightly teased by the others. Kurogane swore he heard, "I thought you be for the flute." And the response a nonchalant, "I would become with woman for her."

Fai then chuckled, leaning closer to Kurogane, "And you be thinking _we_ have a reputation." Kurogane looked away from the other, trying to hide some of his own redness from Fai.

"For a soldier, that one was cute."

"I… didn't need to hear that," Kurogane muttered quietly.

"No worries, Kuro-Father; he's not really my type. He had tedious eyes; not nice like Father's."

Kurogane was not sure if he should feel complimented or insinuated.

"Mother, tease later; you have something you need to do."

"Wise as always, my daughter. Alright, let's split up. This be faster if you children collect the payment. Kuro-Father, you and I will visit the castle."

"Aye, Mother," Sakura said with a bored tone.

While Sakura 'escorts' Syaoran through the town, Fai and Kurogane had to contend with Kiishim, the truest leader of the land, but who was locked up, thanks to a man named Tumbal. Of course, Fai was prepared. Fai seemed prepared for every little thing. Fai was prepared for a lot of things. He had been prepared for the soldiers and for the most part, the ambush. Kurogane didn't think there was much he wasn't prepared for.

However, Fai hadn't been mentally prepared for Kurogane. The way that noble father took care of the children in his own way that brought a small soft smile to his face, although he rarely let anyone see it. But when Kurogane had been attacking him, believing him to be the enemy, there was this whole different feel about him. A proud, powerful warrior, with strength behind everything he did. He was much more powerful than most warriors Fai had seen, and that's not even mentioning with the amount of water-chi he had at his disposal, his power could end up like a tsunami, knocking men and horses over in sheer ferocity. The chopping of firewood earlier was definitely not a waste; like watching the calm before the storm. And damn him for being so damn attractive to boot. Fai sat in the front on Soel, having Kurogane ride behind him as he pushed her to the tower in the midst of town. Once closer, he hid her in a grove of trees, before they had to continue on foot.

Entering the castle, there was a bit of a disturbance. While the guards could be strung along thanks to such helping undercover agents, the castle folk were a different story. Kurogane fended the warriors under Tumbal's control, keeping them at bay for now. Right now, he felt like the bad guy, fighting them when they were the ones attacking him as they defended the castle. He did his best not to kill them, staying on the defense, with some built up aggression and frustration coming out as well. He ended up breaking a pillar with the sheer might causing a temporary blockade. In that time, Fai headed to the dungeon, and Kurogane wasn't far behind the blonde. He made quick work of the castle's interiors as if somehow guided by an invisible force leading him, until he arrived at a row of cells, with a few of them occupied. Fai kneeled down beside one particular cell door, where Kiishim was behind, locked away in her own castle.

"We need to free this woman, Father." Fai informed him.

Looking at the woman, she wore clothes that spoke of power. But she looked as if she'd been locked up for a while now, and not had the best of care, but showed signs that someone still did care for her; although in the cell, there was the obvious signs of someone taking the time to come and feed her and to wipe away some grime.

Kurogane looked at it, and tried just slashing the cell door off. However that didn't work, the noise ricocheting in the dungeon. After the failed attempt, Fai quietly began to fiddle with the locks to the cell, unwilling to use his own chi against the door. When Kurogane had tried, it whiplashed against them, the attack leaving the hallway wet and acidic. With a soft frown, Fai turned from the lock and to the other.

"Kuro-wet, do you mind?"

"Mind what, Witch?" Kurogane said, back turned to the other.

Before Kurogane could respond, Fai gripped his tabard and pulled him closer, slipping his hands underneath layers of cloth. "What… the hell, Witch?" Kurogane barked, holding himself perfectly still.

Fai didn't say anything at first, just leaned in closer. Kurogane could feel his breath slowly at his neckline, noticed the way Fai's hair kept fell into his face and onto his shoulders, could feel hands sliding over his hips, reaching, and Kurogane could feel deft fingers searching, the back of his hands barely brushing against flesh, causing a strange tickle-tease sensation against his chest. Fai's expression had altered to one of concentration, before everything nearly stopped and Fai let out a bright grin. Fai fiddled for a moment longer, before he pulled away and as Kurogane turned to see the other, he could see that Fai held a bone needle in two fingers. "I need to borrow this."

Kurogane stood frozen where he stood, as Fai fixed his hair out of his face again with one hand before turning back to the cell. Then, frozen turned to aggravation. "What the hell do you think you were doing? Second thought, why was there a needle on me? How did it get there in the first place?"

Fai waved a flippant hand at him, "I wondered where I put my sewing needle. Surprised you didn't notice it was there sooner, Kuro-oblivious."

Fai began to fiddle at the lock using a blank key and the needle, with slow precise movements. Kurogane watched those hands, watched the concentration Fai took to deal with the lock. The skill used to pick the lock using a blank and a needle, since he didn't have a copy made of the key from a key mold, was a lot more quiet and finesse than just pounding it broke. Besides, if Fai succeeded, then the cell could still be used later. It was probably better this way, but it took way too much time for Kurogane's liking of just holding on, with nothing to do. He focused on all the details about what he was seeing, the slow movements of Fai, careful and precise, but smooth, the way moving the needle for a pick made small tendons and muscles on his hand visibly move. Moving away from his hands, his arms were poised still, his shoulders upright and chin held confidently, the way his pink lips were barely parted as he breathed slowly. There was the way that his eyes were focused solely on the lock, leaning close to the door itself, to listen to the internal noises of the cage, shining with a sense of determination, confidence, and excitement. Moving away from those gems, his breathing was regulated at an even pacing, not too sharp and not too shallow, rising in and out of his chest. Gazing lower, Fai was holding his form together, and squatting on his haunches. Beneath the dress he was wearing, Kurogane could see the man's lean thighs, watched as the muscles flexed to keep him still. Taking in his full form into consideration, it was modest and graceful, with a fluidity in form, like a dancer, frozen in a moment of time, before his concentration over Fai was interrupted by more incompetent warriors. "Stave them off, please?" Fai asked kindly, never removing his eyes from the task at hand.

Kurogane let out a low grunt, before drawing his sword out. Yeah, he wouldn't be bored for a while.

Sakura was escorting Syaoran on her pillage of the place's 'valuables'. Or perhaps, pulling him along for the ride is more accurate. Syaoran seemed hesitant to touch anything, while Sakura had no qualms placing things on her and his person. As she adorned herself with a few jewels that'd she snatched earlier, she explained to him what she and Fai of D did on a semi-regular basis as he questioned what they were supposed to do.

"We really be more like a trade company. Can't rightly trade with people if we make _every_one hate us. But not everyone will pay fairly for our troubles or don't want nothing with us, so we also have to take from some too." she explained in a sweetly voice, picking up some small apothecary jar, and inspecting it. "But Mother has Man to kill here, so we're going to free a few things for the trouble in case things go wrong for Mother here." Syaoran made small stuttering with wide eyes, while Sakura wrapped the jar in a cloth to protect it from shattering, and lowering the glass into her bosom, where her corset helped keep it secure.

"K-kill Man?" he mustered.

She grabbed a bag of flour. "Aye, Mother will kill Man here. What is the deal? We kill before, and this Man has given Mother cause to slay him."

"What has he done that warrants death?"

"Do ye really want to know?"

"Aye."

"Alright. The thing, the actions he has done that Mother would believe warrants death is…" Sakura began as she let the anticipation build briefly, Syaoran nervously anticipating the answer of what someone, anyone, could do that the women would think was so terrible that it made them deserve to die, what one had to do that made them a liable target to being assassinated by the Vikings, not just some unlucky village that happened to be targeted and destroyed without bias, but to intentionally scout and hunt the person to slay them. It must be something truly terrible …

"A secret."

Syaoran let out a deflated breath. "You weren't actually going to tell me … were you?"

"Aye; actually, I don't know. Mother hasn't told me, but I just know that's what Mother has to do here."

"How do you know that?"

"I've been with Mother almost all my life. I know Mother best, and she has Man to kill." Sakura said seriously, before grinning, "Now," she said with authority in her voice, her eyes staring into his, "make yourself useful and make sure no one comes try kill us, and steal these back. Unless that sheath protects just your flute."

"I-I don't have a flute."

"Obviously," Sakura muttered with a coy smirk. Syaoran had no clue what she was talking about. She walked closer, and nudged his calf with her foot. "Start walking. There's still more work to be done."

Stopping the men from advancing on them, Kurogane struck down the first few in a furious sweep of sword, the power released comparable to a flood, knocking men over in magnitude, and seriously injuring others, while Fai merely focused on attending to the woman in confinement. Kurogane didn't ask why they had to free her, but put his trust and faith in Fai's judgment. He hadn't o far misled him about whom he could trust, unless it was about Fai's past. Working together, Fai and Kurogane are able to free her from Tumbal's confinement, and Fai allowing Kishiim to show most of the rest of the way to where Tumbal resided. However, she left them to their own devices as she needed to get back her own weapon to defeat Tumbal.

After defeating, rather killing (suffocation and bleeding out of the throat is a rather messy way to go) Tumbal, Kishiim says she wants to thank Fai of D and his people for their aid in freeing her people from Tumbal's control. Fai adamantly declines at first any sort of reimbursement, they weren't doing it to free her people after all, as they had been trying to reestablish trade relations, but Kishiim insists that a proper payment is also needed. Fai considers and consents after a while, noticing something, asking merely for a trinket that was there. Kishiim was confused as to why, but consented to allow Fai to have it.

The Historical Corner:

NICKNAMES:

Kuro-breath – Kuro- ørindi

Kuro-no-fun – Kuro-neinn-sael (sael is also for happy)

Kuro-oblivious – Kuro-nein-hekkja (hekkja is to notice, and neinn is no, so did-not-notice, oblivious, or unaware?)

Because I am a horrible horrible person with a weird sense of humor… I made a small Pokemon battle parody…

~insert Pokemon crack joke~ .

_Fai's Team vs. Tumbal's Team_

_Flip coin for first move. Tumbal wins._

_Tumbal used Substitute. 5 Guards replace Tumbal._

_Fai has Magic Guard. Fai uses "Charm". Charm lowers the enemy's attack significantly._

_Guard 1 uses Endure. He is left with at least 1 HP._

_Guard 2 uses Work Up. Guard 2 raises his Attack and Sp. Attack._

_Kurogane has Torrent. Kurogane uses "Slash." Guard1 is left with 1 HP._

_Guard 3 uses Cut. Kurogane takes damage._

_Syaoran has Flash Fire. Syaoran uses "Fire Spin." Causes damage to Guard 2, and leaves burned._

_Sakura has Super Luck. Sakura uses "Earthquake." Super effective against ground type. Guard 1 and 2 faint. Guard 3, 4, and 5 still have HP. Syaoran and Kurogane both take damage. Fai is unaffected._

_Fai uses Fly. Fai flies up high._

_Guard 3 uses Low Sweep. Sakura takes damage._

_Kurogane uses Fury Swipes. Kurogane attacks 4 times. Guard 3 faints._

_Guard 4 uses Frustration. Syaoran takes damage._

_Syaoran uses Sacred Fire. Guard 4 faints._

_Guard 5 uses Submission. Sakura takes damage. Guard 5 takes damage._

_Sakura uses Mud Slap. Guard 5 faints._

_Tumbal is summoned back._

_Fai uses Fly._

_Tumbal uses Magic Room._

_Kurogane uses Slash._

_Syaoran uses Sacred Fire._

_Sakura used Earthquake._

_Tumbal faints. Fai's team gains 4500Y. Fai's team rescues Kiishim from Tumbal's team. Kiishim gives Fai one Magical Feather as a reward for freeing her. Fai gains one Magical Feather._

~End Pokemon crack joke~


End file.
